With some recent rain, it may help cool our Big Bend waters from a hot tub of 90 degrees. The sea trout bite has been a little slow for this time of year and I suspect that it’s from the water temps. Trout tend to bite best when the water drops below 80 and on a outgoing tide in the Fall. A popping cork with a MirrOlure watermelon red flake Provoker on a 1/8th oz. red jig head has been working best for me. I like to put the jig about 20 to 24 inches below the cork, maybe a little longer if I’m in 5 feet of water. The most productive bottom is “yellow” or hard live bottom with rock grass and sponges. If you catch a trout of two on the first drift stay close to that area.
There has been a few schools of redfish on the outside points on the middle of the incoming tide. If it’s calm and with a trained eye you can see the push of the fish. It’s hard not to get after them right away, but I’ve had some fantastic redfish bites by letting the fish come in to the keys and letting them settle in. When that happens I stay just close enough for a long cast to reach them. They’re more likely to stay in one position this way and not be so spooky. High incoming tide will be early morning this weekend.
- Nature Coast - March 23, 2024
- William Toney - February 29, 2024
- Nature Coast - February 14, 2024
