An 'epic' day of fishing!
This week, the “Polar Vortex” drove me to the warmer climate of the Florida Keys. Happy to report that the weather and the Tarpon fishing have been very good. As I am away, my son, Elliott, and my brother, David, are providing the local fishing report.
Cooler water temperatures have Trout and Redfish forming large schools. The Trout are holding along channel ledges directly adjacent to shallow water. Redfish are cruising the shallows and holding near oyster bars. Given this pattern, Elliott and David began fishing channel ledges at the beginning of the falling tide. Windy conditions made water clarity poor, which made it hard for Trout to see their lures. So they kept moving until they found clear water, where they also found a large school of hungry Trout. For the next hour, they caught a Trout on nearly every cast. The most productive lure was a Z-Man MinnowZ (Houdini) on a quarter ounce Trout Eye jig. They cast their lures on to the shallow flat and let the current sweep the MinnowZ into deeper water. Most of their strikes occurred at the base of the channel ledge.
When the tide got a bit lower, the guys moved up on the flat and began sight fishing for Redfish. After a bit of looking, they found a large school of Redfish milling about an oyster bar. They took their time quietly maneuvering the boat into casting distance. Unfortunately, Elliott’s first cast to the school blew them up. Redfish scattered in every direction. The fish on this flat were very spooky. So a long and accurate cast well ahead of the school (so they would not spook) was imperative to getting a bite. As the fish approached the lure, a slow hopping retrieve would trigger a strike.
Elliott and David said that I missed an epic day of fishing. What I really missed was a chance to spend time with my brother and my son. Christmas week is upon us. Give yourself and your family a great gift. Take them fishing!
Wishing all of you the happiest of holidays and a very Merry Christmas.
Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.