Happy New Year! I can’t wait to see what January brings. November and December brought good water clarity with gentle winds. We caught quite a few redfish sight casting around the outer islands. The backcountry produced some great snook in December. Poppers, gurglers, and other top waters are still producing, but not like they were in October. Smaller flies such as redfish candy, clousers, and tantrums have been effective for redfish. The baitfish and crab patterns in moving water are still the key for snook, jacks, and trout. In the winter months, the darker, warmer bottom of the shallows is certainly a good place to find redfish.
We’re seeing the return of many bird species, which ofter gives us a good indication of exactly where the bait is. Where we find bait, we find game fish. Fish the sunny sides of the shore and canals on cooler days. On days when there is not a huge differential between high and low tides, it won’t take much of a current flow to excite the predator fish. Lastly, be aware that current produced by wind can produce good fishing. There is certainly no precise method or approach to having productive days on the water. Keep the fly in the water as much as possible, fish the areas with good structure and water flow, and you might be pleasantly surprised. The overwhelming sense of knowing that it all has come together, the feeling we are all looking for, takes place at the moment of release…when you watch your large game fish speed away and fade into the shallows.
Signing off…
Captain Buddy
Capt Buddy Poling
