Capt. Rick Davidson (grassflats2@yahoo.com), Editor
So for fishing folks, there isn't a less appealing month than February. Notwithstanding the fact that it's cold and the weather is challenging, the Feds have made it a horrible month for those who make their living associated with recreational fishing. The closures in February included speckled trout, red and gag grouper, red snapper and amberjack. Since kingfish and Spanish mackerel have moved to the south, there isn't much left-except redfish, sheepshead, flounder and other bottom fish like black seabass. That's why for many who write about fishing, February is the great month to write about how to winterize your boat, maintain your tackle, re-spool and lubricate your reels, and grease your trailer bearings.
The fact is, though, that for recreational fishermen, there is still fun to be had. While you can't keep trout during February, the winter months are the time when larger trout school in shallower water. In fact, mid-winter is about the very best time to catch the largest trout of the year, and in good numbers. Handling them very carefully, using single hook artificial lures, barbless hooks and avoiding live bait can result in great survival of released trout. Since I fish mostly catch and release anyway, I enjoy fishing in February-when we can get some weather that is compatible. That was a major problem this past month, with high winds and fronts making an appearance every weekend and throughout most of the weeks as well.
Along with Valentine's Day, February is also the month of the Steinhatchee Fiddler Crab Festival. This year, the Second Annual festival took place over Valentine's Day weekend. There were lots of vendors selling everything from jewelry to mounted lobsters, including homemade jams and jellies, hand-knitted items, and great food. One of the highlights is the annual Swamp Water Cooking contest. Visitors can buy a mug and then sample the competitive offerings-soups and stews. Make sure this ends up on your calendar for next year.
Friday night kicked off with some fine music, and on Sunday there was a small redfish tournament with only one prize-whoever caught the redfish with the most spots won a rod and reel. Our own Capt. Tommy Thompson ( http://www.saltwateranglersguide.com/ ) donated the rod and reel, and in spite of that we wanted to enter the tournament. It was very cold and we didn't leave the Sea Hag dock until around 11, with the weigh-in from 1 to 3. The water temperature was 45 degrees, and the wind was blowing-but the sun was out. The fishing was not that good, and that is an understatement. But Tommy did manage to catch one redfish, about 6.5 pounds and with only two spots. We figured for sure someone would have caught a redfish before us, or one with more spots, but when we showed up, Tommy had caught the only redfish, shown below. So now the combo will be donated to the upcoming tournament benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County. Thanks for your generosity, Tommy.
My other fun trip was taking my old fishing buddy Doug Fertig out on the 21st. Doug finally retired a few months ago and we've been waiting to get a chance to get out, but the weather and schedules didn't cooperate. Doug actually got me involved in fishing Steinhatchee many years ago, and showed me many places I fish on a regular basis now. We finally got a break with reasonable winds, slightly warming temperatures, and mutual availability. We left the Sea Hag around 8 with a soft breeze from the southeast and a warming sun. We ran south of the river to one of our old favorite spots that has held good numbers of trout and redfish during winter months. We were fishing suspending baits, primarily Corky mullet and soft-plastic unweighted Texas-rigged jerk baits. It didn't take very long for us to find some fine trout. Although we never found any redfish, we did find the usual winter pattern-large schools of large trout. We worked the general area for a number of hours and caught somewhere around 15 trout, all but one over 20 inches, and several flounder. My biggest fish of the day was this beauty, a bit over 6 pounds.
March Fishing Forecast
Early springtime fishing along the Big Bend is very dependent on the weather, primarily water temperatures. The trout season has re-opened, but gag and red grouper, and red snapper are still closed. As the water warms, the redfish will move out of the creeks and deeper water into their more regular areas around shallow bars and creek mouths. Trout fishing should be excellent with suspending lures or shrimp fished very slowly around structure and in deeper water with patchy bottom. And we are bringing back a popular event. MARCH TROUT MADNESS! Largest trout weighed in at Sea Hag Marina during March wins a combo estimated value $199! A new Sharkfin FD 2000 reel is combo'd with a Shakespeare Ugly Stik ISSP 1170. There is no entry fee. ALL contestants weighing in fish will be eligible for prizes, including shirts, hats, and tackle.
Sheepshead will be the big story because their arrival in large numbers on nearshore structure should be underway early in the month. For a great primer on sheepshead and how to catch them, go to this link to an article written by my friend Captain Russ Roy for the Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club: http://www.gofc.us/gofc_sheepshead_00.htm
There will still be plenty of black sea bass and Florida snapper available on offshore structure, and it's possible that we might see some migration of kingfish and Spanish mackerel by the end of the month with warmer temperatures. The emphasis, though, for this month, will be trout, redfish and sheepshead. Call the Ship's Store at the Sea Hag Marina for up-to-date information, and remember that you can buy everything you need there for successful fishing, including live bait, high-end rods and reels, and a complete line of tackle.
And a few words from our guides:
Capt. Tommy Thompson
(352) 284-1763
www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy
Howling winds and colder-than-normal temperatures sure were the 'event' this month. That, with trout season closed, made for some lonely trips. However, we're starting to see some warming trends, and March should be a great month for both big trout and big reds. We've already seen some reds schooling up along the shorelines and the big trout bite has been delayed by the extended winter weather. So, it's time to get out on the water and put that light tackle, including fly rods, to work!
My award-winning fishing guide book, The Saltwater Angler's Guide To Florida's Big Bend and Emerald Coast, might be a help to you if you spend lots of time at Steinhatchee (or anywhere from Chassahowitzka to Pensacola). It's got LOTS of secrets, tips and tricks, so don't forget to pick up a copy at the Sea Hag Ship's Store the next time you're at the marina. You can learn more about the book at www.saltwateranglersguide.com
If you're interested in a 'catch-and-release hunting for big fish' trip, please give me a call or check out my Web site, www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy . And if you're interested in some more in-depth information about fishing Florida's Big Bend, take a look at my weekly Fishing4Cast on the Florida Sportsman Magazine Web site at http://www.floridasportsman.com/4cast/bb, the Florida Sportsman Big Bend Action Spotter column in each month's issue, or read my posts as the Gainesville Fishing Examiner.
Captain Steve Hart, www.legallimitscharters.com (352) 498-0299
With grouper closed until April 1, the offshore fishing in February has consisted of cleaning, organizing and just doing general boat maintenance. If you did get the chance to go offshore there have been some great catches of sea bass and Florida snapper. Sheepshead have not showed up in great numbers yet but should be here any day. I myself, cannot wait to get my cleaned and serviced boat back on the water and get on with some great fishing, so don't forget the following: Trout opens Feb. 1, grouper opens Apr. 1, red snapper Jun. 1 and the ever popular scallop season Jul. 1, so plan a trip and come on down. I am posting a few pictures of past catches and fun days just to help get us in the mood.
