Set new fishing goals for 2018!
A bout of the flu kept me off the water for most of Christmas week. Knowing that I like to fish, my doctor made me promise not to launch my skiff until after Christmas. I kept that promise. However, I did sneak out and do a little bit of dock fishing! While I only fished for a few minutes, the trout were biting pretty well on the dock in front of the Children’s Park. They were small in stature but plentiful. I even managed to land a couple of big ones.
Most of the trout were caught on a Z-Man TRD TubeZ (in a color called The Deal) on a NedlockZ 1/5-ounce jig. They were congregated where the water depth transitioned from 5 to 8 feet. The strike was very light and I missed a bunch of bites. Thankfully, the trout were hungry and it was not long before another fish ate the TubeZ. For what it is worth, I got more bites fishing into the current. This also made it easier for me to feel the lure. If you do not have a boat or have promised the doctor not to launch it, give dock fishing a try. In my experience, the fishing is pretty good.
Now that I am feeling better, I will be targeting redfish in the shallows with my new Shimano Asquith fly rod. While I was recovering, I tied a bunch of Clouser Minnow flies with the color scheme of all chartreuse and chartreuse over white. The bright colors help redfish to see the fly in stained or muddy water. January is one of my favorite times to target redfish on the fly. The fish are holding in large schools and only a few people are fishing. You may get frostbite - but you will catch fish!
Years ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to fish more often. It is the only resolution that I ever kept. If you are considering a resolution, I recommend fishing more often. It is an easy one to keep.
Happy New Year! Hope to see you, on a dock or a boat, really soon.
Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.