Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Dunedin Trout And Redfish Are Cooperative

Mild Winter, Great Action!!!Subscribe to Capt. Brian's Fishing Report

2/4/2008
Hey everyone. We are well into the season here in West Florida. The weather has been great!! OK, there are a couple of exceptions here and there, but mid 70's has been the usual lately. The mornings have been a bit foggy, so a light jacket has been necessary. The fishing is very good in those conditions though. The report is pretty simple. Trout are starting to show up everywhere. The flats are holding schools of large Trout. The islands are also holding schools of large Trout. Jigs and live shrimp under a cork are working well. I have been using my sneaky trolling motor to ease around looking for these fish on my days off. I haven't had much trouble locating them in their usual spots. The good thing about Trout is they are easy to hook and very cooperative. Any one at any level can do it. I often hear experienced anglers say that they are easily bored by the Trout. I think the action is unbeatable, however, there are other options now, although limited.One of these options is Redfish.
We are finding them around the docks and oyster bars in Palm Harbor Dunedin and Clearwater. Live shrimp, Gulp shrimp and rootbeer or white curly tail jigs are getting hit. They aren't the big bruisers we see in the spring but they can be a feisty alternative at any size. We will, on occasion, get a nice top of the slot fish. 25 to 27 inches.Sheepshead are also a species we are catching. They are usually a nice surprise while Trout fishing but can put up a good tussle. Using light leader and hiding a # 4 hook in the tail of a live shrimp is the trick to hooking lots of these guys. Of course, sand fleas are a great bait for them as well. You just have to put in the time to rake them up at low tide.So, you see? There is good fishing even in the cool winter months. Get out of the office or inlaws house and treat yourself. Finally, if you are thinking of booking in March or April, don't wait too long. They are filling up fast. Come on, let's go fishing!


Capt. Brian Caudill
727-365-7560