Our 'winter' can bring tough days for anglers, but you know it could be worse | FISHING ROUNDUP
Consider it part of our geographic charm.
For those of you who recently migrated our way from the upper rungs of the Lower 48, you never had to worry about fishing plans this time of year. There weren't any. Too damn cold, followed by colder. Then in January it really got nasty.
Down here, we're grateful for a lot of things, including the ability to cast for fish many days, if not most, throughout our so-called winter, which is what some of you remember as mid-spring back home.
Well, we should be grateful, but some of us have become spoiled and wonder why every December day can't be like some of the beauties we've had recently — 70ish, blue skies, manageable breeze and hey, look, is that a butterfly?
But now we're set for several days with highs around 60, lows around 40, and enough wind to get you covering those ears — bet you never thought your blood would thin this much, did you? The good news is, winds will mostly be from the west, which always takes some bite off the rougher edges.
But things were pretty good there before this, and will be good again afterward, so keep (or start) appreciating the fact we can even consider December outings, and even January outings starting next week.
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Halifax/Indian River
Capt. Billy Pettigrew (RedfishTails.com) is in a bit of a holding pattern, hoping the cold(er) temps get the reds schooling in big groups.
“We just haven’t gotten there yet,” he says.
Darkened river water and the recent full moon increased the degree of difficulty, but there’s some continued good news.
The sheepshead fish has strong and sharp teeth that look like human molars but tougher. These teeth help the fish crush and grind hard-shelled food like crabs and barnacles. Because of these teeth, sheepshead can eat a variety of things. When people go fishing for sheepshead,… pic.twitter.com/2ucSPJYj8V
— Hundred History (@HundredHistory) December 28, 2023
“Sheepshead are still going strong,” Capt. Billy says, “and I’m starting to see flounder on the flats, scooting away from the boat.”
The sheepshead run is throughout the intracoastal. Ike Leary (Granada Bait) says they’re coming up to the planks, along with black drum, at his Ormond Beach public fishing pier. We call it “his” pier because, by golly, it has his name on it!
Around the Ponce Inlet jetties, Capt. Jeff Patterson (Pole Dancer) has been using sandfleas and small shrimp to catch sheepshead up to five pounds. He's been using half of a blue crab to catch black drum around the bridges.
"And there's been a bunch of small jacks and bluefish throughout the intracoastal, which is great for keeping kids busy," he says.
"Conditions haven't been so great and it's been tricky. The water temperature will probably keep dropping with cooler temperatures in the forecast, which will start changing up what's going on with the fish."
Offshore
Capt. Scott Housel (Sudden Strike) made it out Wednesday and found some snapper (lane, mangrove, red) 20 miles out. He tried again during Thursday's damp chill and only managed some undersized cobia.
The Sea Spirit will remain tethered to its Ponce Inlet dock through Saturday, but Sunday’s marine forecast looks a bit more promising.
Surf
For those who don’t mind the chilled wind, it wasn’t a bad week along the tide lines. The pompano were still relatively thick (literally and figuratively), with a variety of other edibles also coming to shore — sheepshead, red and black drum, and the occasional Spanish mackerel was reported.
“If you’re willing to withstand the winds and the currents, you were getting a barrel full of fish,” says our chief beachside correspondent, Marco Pompano, who isn’t afraid to break the tougher news to us.
“The water temperature is dropping. It’s now 62,” he said midweek, before it began aiming even lower. “This means the fish are leaving to go south in their migration.”
They’ll be back. It never fails.
St. Johns
You can find several old sayings about the effects of crappy weather on crappie fishing, but unless your definition of crappy goes well beyond our little late-week situation, the effects seem minimal.
“They’re already out there fishing,” Kerry McPherson said as Thursday morning’s drizzle continued.
It’s the height of crappie season on the St. Johns, where most of the locals prefer to call them speckled perch, or just specks. The daily bag limit is 25 per angler, which tells you how plentiful they are.
Kerry owns and runs South Moon Fish Camp in Astor, and after the annual slow season, he’s had plenty of company this week — as always happens just after Christmas — and for a good reason.
“The fishing is pretty good right now,” Kerry says. “We’ve had some groups come in, some on Christmas night. They started dwindling in after that. Yesterday (Wednesday) everybody had a good day. Some caught ’em drifting, some were doing really well jigging the pads.
“Seems like the better action is coming down toward Lake Dexter and Woodruff.”
Kerry has a simple answer for how the cold snap will affect things: “We’ll see.”
“Sometimes it affects it, sometimes not,” he says. “As long as the water keeps running toward the north, that helps.”
Mark the Calendar
● The folks at Highland Park Fish Camp in DeLand are debuting a new Crappie Tournament and sneaking it in under the 2023 wire — this Sunday, beginning pre-dawn.
Entry deadline runs right up to Sunday morning. It’s $50 per boat, two anglers per boat, seven fish limit, weigh-in back at Highland Park at 1 p.m.
You can find all other info on the camp’s Facebook page, and general Highland Park info on the website.
● As mentioned here a couple weeks back, the annual Berkeley LaBaw Speckled Perch Tournament is fast approaching on the St. Johns in DeLand. A Jan. 12 captains meeting — at host Highland Park Fish Camp — will be followed by the Jan. 13-14 (Saturday-Sunday) tournament featuring two launch sites: Highland Park and the public ramps at Whitehair Bridge.
There’s much more info available on the event's Facebook page, or you can call Highland Park at 386.734.2334.
● The 2024 seminar series at Halifax Sport Fishing Club kicks off Jan. 18, and kicks off in the kitchen.
Chef Slavic Vesely, from Down the Hatch in Ponce Inlet, will school you up on the whole back end of this fishing deal — the dinner plate! He’ll share some trade secrets on prepping and grilling the wide variety of edible seafood we enjoy around these parts.
Yes, bubba, there will be samples.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., a brief club meeting starts at 7, with Chef Slavic’s presentation at 7:30. These monthly gatherings are always free to the public. The club is located at 3431 S. Ridgewood in Port Orange.
More info here on the club's website.
● Dustin Smith and his gang from NSB Shark Hunters are debuting a “Sharka Palooza” Jan. 27 (a Saturday) at Bethune Beach, near the south end of New Smyrna’s beachside.
There will be free food and drinks and demonstrations on all that goes into targeting, catching, tagging and releasing a variety of sharks in our surf.
The event starts at 2 p.m. More info: NSBsharkhunters.com, or call 386.527.2144.
Hook, line and clicker: Send us your fish pics
We want to see your most recent catch. Email your fish photos to ken.willis@news-jrnl.com.
Please include first and last name of angler(s), as well as type of fish (we're occasionally stumped). All are included with our online fishing report, and some occasionally make the print edition.
Do I need a fishing license?
You can find all the license info, including exemptions, on Florida's Fish and Wildlife Commission website: MyFWC.com. But the basics are: No: If you're 65 or older, 15 or younger, you don't need a license. “Probably” Not: If you're fishing with a licensed guide or charter boat, both of which often purchase commercial licenses that cover their customers. Yes: Most everyone else, including visitors from other states. Yes: Even if you're a shore-based angler (shoreline, dock, pier, bridge, etc.), and even if fishing with a shore-based guide. However: The shore-based license is free . . . But: You still need to register for that free license.
Where do I get a license and what does it cost?
Many bait shops sell licenses, as do the bigger retailers (Bass, Dick's, Walmart, etc.). Florida's FWC uses a third-party site for buying or renewing fishing licenses: GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. The cost: $17 for an annual license. Don't forget: Whether you're fishing fresh or saltwater, you need the specific license. Freshwater and saltwater licenses are both $17 annually.
I’m here on vacation, do I need a license?
Yes you do, and they're also available at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or certain bait shops and big retailers. Cost: $17 for three days, $30 for seven days, $47 for a year. Also: Non-residents need to purchase that license even if they're just fishing from shoreline or shore-based structures. (Florida residents need that license, too, but they're free.)
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Too cold? For some newcomers, this is mid-spring | Daytona Fishing Roundup