Warm weather and hungry fish make for a very good time!

An extended string of record high temperatures has the fish (and anglers) pretty confused. As we approach the New Year, water temperatures are in the upper sixty degree range (the warmest I can recall for this time frame). Bait has returned to the shallows and the Trout have for the most part abandoned their winter haunts (in deeper water). It took a couple of days to figure this out. However, once I did, fishing has been great. Large numbers of Trout and the occasional Flounder have found the MinnowZ Bad Shad to be irresistible. The fish are holding adjacent to shallow oyster bars (where the bait is hanging out).

It is unusual to target the large winter schools of Redfish in shorts and a t-shirt but that is exactly how my nephew Conrad and I did it. Water clarity was not optimal due to wakes from excessive boat traffic. A lot of people were out enjoying the warm weather. This made seeing the Redfish a bit challenging. More often than not, we would spook the school before being able to see them and cast our lures (Z-Man 4” PaddlerZ Bad Shad). However, we did manage to catch a couple of nice ones.

Unseasonably warm conditions are predicted to continue. So I expect the shallow water pattern to continue as well. Warm weather and hungry fish can make for a very good time. Do not miss out. Go fishing this week if you can. Contact Capt. Greg at: captgregp@gmail.com and (843) 224-0099.