Are the Fish Biting?

DECEMBER, 2011 and JANUARY, 2012

December is an excellent month to fish in NE Florida; you just have to be flexible in adapting to weather conditions. The water temperatures are in the mid to low 60's. Speckled trout are plentiful and cooperative and more seem to be keeper size. Sliding float rigs with live shrimp, soft plastics or gulp on jigs, lipped diving lures, and live shrimp on jigs are all effective baits for trout. There are also some nice yellow mouth trout mixed in with their speckled cousins.

Some good size flounder are still being caught, though the main migration seaward is pretty much over. Smaller flounder will stay in the creeks over the winter where they will be safe from ocean predators. This past flounder season was the best I can ever remember, and I've been fishing for them since the mid 60's.

Sheepshead, reds, and black drum are all biting at the jetties, in the river, ICW, and feeder creeks. The water is clearing as the cold kills the algae, and the reds are starting to school up. Bluefish can show up anywhere to wreak havoc on your bait and tackle. My new Skeeter bay boat is a pleasure to fish from. The power pole makes fishing the shallow water so much easier than anchoring the old fashion way. 

Although the fishing should remain good in January, I will be spending the month "down under" in New Zealand dry fly fishing for brown and rainbow trout!  I will be available for charters again in early February.  You can contact me at this website's email address or phone number to schedule a charter. 

Tight lines!

Capt. Bob Cosby