February was a cold one by our standards. There were very few days early in the month with clear skies and calm winds. Despite this, anglers have been getting it done with a willingness to tough out adverse conditions.
Redfish have been moving in good size schools more than I have seen in previous years. I have encountered schools of 50-100 fish more often than I can ever recall. Schools are a welcome sight, but present different challenges than single and small groups of fish. My anglers have frequently spooked fish in between the boat and the fish we were targeting. Which then leads to a reaction from the rest of the school. If you encounter a large school of fish, it's often a good move to sit back and watch for a while. Make a plan to target a piece of the school you can get a fly or bait into without causing too much commotion. It's easy to make a fly look like a small bait that the fish kick up naturally. It just has to be on the bottom and in the school without the fish noticing how it got there. This often means leading the school of fish by 20+ feet. Small shrimp and crab patterns are the ticket.
Anglers power fishing spoons and soft plastics have been rewarded with redfish and speckled trout. Fish have been stacked up on mud flats and oyster bars in my area. Throwing an artificial lure can lead to feeding fish in places where we usually wouldn't be able to see them in time. Covering water with a gold spoon can earn lots of strikes farther from the boat and also is a great way to target laid-up fish.
Our usual February warm up pushed redfish to start eatings more and has snook in their usual places. River and creek mouths will hold fish through March until they begin to push to the beaches. These fish will feed on any well presented bait as they begin the long trek to spawning season. Redfish can be found cruising and tailing on shallow flats and sand bars and should eat well until summer temperatures push them to look for shade and deeper water. Snook will feed in places with good ambush points and currents well into the coming months.
I have some availability in March but April is starting to get busy already. Call and book your date today!
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