By Capt. Rachel Nobbe Cato
November 30, 2013
Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving, on or off the water. I spent Black Friday on the water with back to back charters catching Snook, Reds, Seatrout, and lots of Flounder. Started off the day with buying 18 dozen shrimp and netted some whitebait. Slow short tides made for some tough morning fishing but finished with some hardcore snook catching. Picked off a few flounder in the am but the bigger fish were caught on the stronger afternoon incoming tide. Strong winds kept us from fishing deeper water edges for Seatrout, so mostly fished behind cover. Cut pinfish fished along mangroves produces redfish, whitebait was the best and most productive bait yesterday for snook and flounder. Best technique for winter fishing is casting in sand holes and slowly working weighted #1 circle hooks and white bait. Switch up to shrimp when the water temp drops into the 50’s, I find the pinfish to less likely to eat your shrimp when it gets this cold. Sheepshead will start to flood bottom structure and reefs so venture out when the winds are light, look for bridges and canals for cover on windy days. Easiest bait is small shrimp and cut shrimp but live sand fleas are their preferred food. Don’t let the cold keep you off the water and when the sun shines bright try to get out and enjoy the Florida winter.
Captain Rachel Cato
Captain Rachel is a full time fishing guide located in Palmetto. Specialties include Inshore live bait fishing for snook and reds, as well as large groups up to 6 anglers. You can contact her at (941) 524-9664 or check her out on the web at www.captainrachel.com or on Facebook for the latest fishing reports.
- Soft Plastic Baits - December 18, 2011
- Native Watercraft Ultimate with Propel - December 18, 2011
- Native Watercraft Ultimate - December 18, 2011
