A brief cold front kicked off the new year here in east central Florida but that should not slow down the incredible redfish action we have had for the past couple months. If you are a fan of shallow water sight fishing for tailing redfish, it has been as good as it gets. The shrimp and crabs they have been eating are small giving an advantage to clients on my Mosquito Lagoon fly fishing trips because they can use small flies which mimic the food source. Tailing redfish, however, require precise casts to get the fly close enough for them to see it when their head is buried in the grass. For spinning rod anglers, the 2.5 or 3″ DOA shrimp is a good bet. For a truly weedless option, go with a 3″ shad tail lure.
The cooler water temps will also bring some of the best chances for sight fishing big seatrout as well. While redfish have mainly been best in areas with thick grass, the trout will be lying in sandy depressions, along dropoffs, and around the spoil islands. The DOA shrimp is a perfect sight casting choice but a 3″ tail on a jighead works well for sight fishing and blind casting both trout and redfish over sandy bottom.
Black drum are also a possibility for the fly and spin anglers this month. These fish are usually in schools. They are much less aggressive feeders than their cousins the redfish and trout. It can sometimes take multiple well placed casts just to get a single bite from a large school. Some fish are in the 3-5 pound range while other schools may have fish over 20 pounds. Always carry at least one heavy rod in the boat for the giant drum and reds you may encounter.
On the freshwater side, the American Shad run on the St. Johns River has begun and numbers should continue to improve as the month progresses. Shad are like a freshwater version of a small tarpon. They pull hard, jump, and, unlike tarpon, you can often catch dozens per day. These are easy catching trips for both fly and spin anglers. In addition to the shad we catch bass, crappie, and a variety of panfish.
I still have some open dates for January for both flats fishing or shad fishing. If you are looking for a saltwater fishing charter near Orlando give a call at 321-229-2848