Last weekend, a strong cold front made its way through central Florida. Behind the front, the temperatures have struggled to make it in the 60's and lows have been as cold as 38. As a result, the temperatures on the flats have dropped nearly 20 degrees. Some of the fish are sluggish and seeking refuge in deep water. Others are shallow and feeding normally. The fish will soon acclimate to the cooler temperatures and return to their usual behavior.
Prior to the cold front arriving,I fished Michigan residents Joe and Jim. The fishing that day was excellent like it had been the past few weeks. These guys wanted to sight fish and the fish gave them plenty of shots throughout the day. The Arkansas Shiner 4" CAL was very effective. Both redfish and black drum were caught and released during a great day on the Lagoon.
This Monday, I went to Mosquito Lagoon to try out the new color DOA shrimp I had picked up at the fishing show over the weekend. The cold front had dropped the temperature but the water was still in the 60's. I found plenty of active fish and they were more than willing to eat the new shrimp color called FiGi Chix.
After five reds on the shrimp, I switched to a crab landing another red and several black drum.
Yesterday, I got to fish with my wife Julie. When we left the house the temperature was 38 degrees. We hit the water around 9 and had a chilly ride to our first spot. The water was now in the low 50's and many of the fish I had seen Monday were gone. In addition, the water level had dropped nearly a foot. Within five minutes, I cast a DOA crab to the first redfish we spotted and a 27" fish came aboard for a quick photo.
Julie hooked a redfish and a drum on the crab and followed with another redfish on a CAL tail. A large trout and a couple more drum ate the crab before we moved on.
Later on, Julie hooked up with a big drum which threw the hook after several minutes. She took over poling duties and I tied on the new DOA FiGi Chix shrimp which fooled two more redfish before we called it a day.
The forecast for next week is for slightly warmer temperatures. Each day, you can expect more fish to return to the flats. Crabs and shrimp will be their primary source of food. Lures and flies that imitate crustaceans will provide the best results. With water levels much lower than they have been in months, watch out for sand bars that have been under water throughout the fall.Mosquito Creek Outdoors Fishing Sale
November 25-29, Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka will have 20% off everything in their fishing department. If you are looking for a quality rod or reel, a flyrod, or just need to restock your tackle box, this is a great chance to take advantage of low prices. On Saturday the 29th, I will be at the store to help customers with tackle and lure selection, offer some fly casting advice, and answer any fishing related questions. In addition, Capt. John Kumiski will be there to sign copies of his book and give some fly tying demos.
If you have not been to the store recently, they have made some changes adding a new section across the street complete with a pool where you can try out their large selection of kayaks.
Fishing the DOA Shrimp.
One of the most common question I am asked is about fishing the DOA shrimp. Many people tell me they have tried them but are not catching fish. When used properly, this lure will catch anything you can catch on a live shrimp. During winter, redfish, trout, and black drum all focus their attention on shrimp. While live shrimp certain will catch fish, they are expensive, require special handling, and are prone to fly off the hook at the worst possible moment. The most common mistake I see when people fish a DOA shrimp is moving it much too quickly. In almost all instances, slower is better. I fish in non-tidal water for both cruising and tailing redfish. For best results, I cast the shrimp several feet away from moving fish, drag it into its path and let it fall naturally to the bottom. If the fish is tailing, drag the shrimp and let it fall right in front of the red's nose. A very slight twitch is more than enough to entice a strike.
If you fish in tidal water, cast the DOA shrimp up tide and let the current push the bait towards the fish which will be facing into the tide. Giving the shrimp too much action or working it faster than the tide will normally spook more fish than it will catch.
Capt. Chris Myers
Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/
321-229-2848
No comments:
Post a Comment