by Capt. Matt Mitchell
The almost 20-degree drop in water temperature was just a small taste of what is to come this winter. After a few weather days off the water early last week, getting back at it required drastic changes in tactics to keep the rods bent. The strong winds following the passage of this early-season front also brought us some extreme low tides.
These extremely low tides are some of my favorite conditions as they really help to concentrate the fish into deeper channels and holes. It’s simple math, less water, and the same amount of fish, which makes your odds higher. Finding the right deeper channels can be as easy as dead-end canal fishing or working sheltered mangrove creeks.
When water temperatures plummet, taking live shrimp is a must.
Presentation works best low and slow, as most fish simply don’t want to work for it. My go-to setup for cold-water conditions is a 1/4-oz jig head with a 2/0 hook. I like to downsize my 30-inch fluorocarbon leader to 20# and tie a perfection loop to the jig head. This knot lets the jig free fall and makes that magical bounce across the bottom.
During the coldest times, I often put a chunk of shrimp on the jig head, pinching off the tail, threading it onto the hook, then removing the head.
This small, compact presentation will draw strikes when nothing else seems to get the job done. On my first day back on the water after the front, this method caught 90% of our fish. Even though I had a live well full of shiners, the fish just were not active enough to want to work for a meal.
This jig head chunk of shrimp setup catches a crazy variety of fish, including redfish, sheepshead, snapper, flounder, black drum, and even a few snook. Letting the jig soak, you will gradually feel the fish tap the bait.
When you feel the bite, give a slow lift of the rod tip to make sure the fish is holding the bait before a quick pop hook set. Once the rod loads, another quick pop ensures the fish is hooked.
In the days immediately following, the front redfish and sheepshead were our main catch. As conditions warmed, a few snook began eating shiners again. No matter how badly we want to target snook when our water temperatures are in the low 60s or colder, it’s usually tough going.
Although it seems really early to be catching sheepshead, these fish save a lot of trips and will become our main target in the coldest months.
With a warming trend in the next 10-day forecast, this past cold front will do wonders to put the fish where they are supposed to be. This change-of-season fishing can bring some of the fastest-paced action of the year.
Get the timing of an approaching cold down, and the bite will be on fire. Get it a day late on the back side of a front, and it can be a grind. Either way, it’s always a good day to be fishing.
Capt Matt Mitchell moved to Sanibel in 1980 and has lived in St. James City since 2000, when he started his fishing charter business. He spends over 300 days a year “living the dream” fishing. For questions and more information:
bookings@captmattmitchell.com
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