That is the number one question we get asked at the shop each day. What’s been biting lately? Generally, we can, in good consonance, tell you what we have been hearing or what we have been catching if we have actually been out fishing. The last two weeks of February I like to call the twilight zone because sometimes it just doesn’t seem real or doesn’t make any sense.
We have experienced front after front after front this winter and the two weeks that ended January to around Feb 10th were just brutally cold and windy (by Florida standards).
So, the water has been much colder than normal and after these strong winds the water has been churned up quite a bit. Those conditions make it really tough to answer the question, what’s been biting, but here is the most honest answer I can give.
Sheepshead have been plentiful. This year’s spawn was strong, which is a good sign for the health of the fishery. I have been hearing the best area that has been most productive is around the 3-mile reef. The rock piles around Egmont and rock piles in the bay have been doing well also for Sheepshead, however some of the public numbers like Emmerson Reef have not produced like they have in the past. It could be the crazy water conditions recently or it could be that it is just overfished, either way, the near shore 3-mile reef has been most productive from what I’m being told.
Red Fish bite has been strong for this time of year. Reports are that the best red fish bite has been up the Manatee River closer to Ft Hamer. The Braden River has also been producing a good red fish bite but be careful in the Braden River, it can get really shallow really quick, so be cognizant of the channel markers there. Trout have been tougher this winter and I attribute that to the extremes we have seen. I am still hearing some nice hauls sporadically but overall, the trout bite has been off so far this winter. I think after this week of upper 70’s we will start seeing the trout fire back up. Also, white bait (greenbacks/ pilchards) have not been easy to find either. It seems like they have entered witness protection because they have just disappeared. Again, I think we will start to see them come back in big numbers around the skyway once the water warms up. Hog fish, red grouper and mangrove snapper seem to be holding their own in the 45-to-75 foot depths and I am seeing some really nice filet tables of all 3 of those species, however, it has been difficult to predict the right day to hop out in the gulf with all the wind. Bottom line is SPRING IS COMING and I couldn’t be more excited about that!! Spring fishing in Florida is some of the best. The pompano and king fish should start showing up in March and the inshore bite should really heat up as well.
Stop by Palmetto Bait and Tackle for and get geared up for spring, it literally is right around the corner and so are we!
