By Capt. David Lifka
mail@floridanewsline.com
As we are about to enter the coolest part of the year, fishing our area waters becomes much less predictable. One reason is, fish are a lot like us. Some species head south for the winter to enjoy warmer waters. Others suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (“S.A.D”) where they don’t feel like eating, don’t have much energy, and hunker down somewhere warm and deep waiting for warmer weather to return. And then there are some that seem to enjoy the cooler temps and continue with their normal activities.
As many species of fish head south for the winter, the end result is much slower fishing for these fish in our area waters (especially nearshore and offshore species). The good news is that fishing just a few hours south of here really picks up during the winter months. If you just happen to be one of those folks that suffers from winter anxiety, or lack of fishing depression, a weekend or even longer fishing trip can easily be accomplished with a quick trip to most anywhere in South Florida or the Keys, where you can enjoy warmer weather and some pretty good fishing.
For the species that are still around but suffer from S.A.D., the good news for us is, they are still around. Trout, reds, flounder, sheepshead and others remain available all year long, and like many of us, they prefer to come out of their winter retreats when mild and warmer days come up. During these days they may be out to enjoy a dinner or two which hopefully happens to be on a hook tied to the end of our fishing line.
We also have some species of fish that apparently don’t mind winter weather too much. As a matter of fact, these fish are probably targeted more over the winter than the rest of the year. Striped bass on the freshwater/saltwater side, and speckled perch (also known as crappie) on the freshwater side are renowned for their winter bites.
Striped bass or stripers often like poor, damp, cool, and cloudy days. They are most commonly caught at the deepest depths or somewhere in-between. From any of the downtown Jacksonville bridges to all the other bridges as far south as Shands, working plugs or lures at various depths or cut bait or a live shiner will catch them.
For many an angler, the speckled perch is what North Florida winter fishing is all about. They own boats that are specifically rigged for speck fishing with multiple rod holders mounted from bow to stern, with rods and reels that are designed to catch just speckled perch. Arguably the best tasting freshwater gamefish in these parts, these fish are known to bunch up during winter months on lake and creek beds providing excellent catches for those who go after them. Slow trolled or drifted speck jigs or live minnows are used to catch them. Area creeks, but especially inland lakes in the Keystone, Palatka, Ocala, and Gainesville areas of the state should provide enough fishing to get anyone suffering from a lack of fishing deficiency through the winter.
Fishing Report: The river is slowing down; fishing docks for reds and trout are always worth a try. Bass and bream in area freshwater locations still provide decent catches.
Whether you catch one, some, or none, the family time spent fishing will last a lifetime.
Email your Catch of the Month photo to catchofthemonthpictures@gmail.com. Be sure to include the name of the person(s) in the photo, the name of the person who took the photo, the type of fish and date and location of the catch. We will select a photo each month for publication.
Photo courtesy Marc Herbert
Jameson holding one of 13 fish caught on a private dock at Mandarin Point.