Skyway Bait and Tackle

Welcome back to this week’s weekend fishing report with Captain Griffin Deans of Slot Machine Fishing Charters.

It was a little dark and dreary as we hit the water today. You can see the birds behind us fighting for their fish before the winds carry them away.

We were out here fishing early today, also trying to get our fishing in before the weather hits. The weekend is looking a little rough starting on Thursday afternoon with heavy winds ranging into the 20 – 40 mph zones and some possible rain come Thursday night and Friday morning.

Historically February is the coldest month of weather here in Florida, which means once we get through this month, we should begin heading back into some warmer temperatures and, as a result – better fishing conditions.

As we said last week, the cold will affect the fish bite. As anglers, this forces us to change our mode of operation with regards to the species we’re chasing and the gear we’re using. Once we’re through these cold months, warmer temperatures should bring the snook back to the mangroves and flats. The redfish should also start to show up a little better. They’ve been around pretty good still, but we’ll start seeing some more prominent schools of some bigger sized fish as the waters warm.

A good rig setup to use for these questionable conditions is a free line with a live shrimp. The more lively and natural your bait looks, the better the odds of getting that bite. Especially with the waters cold and the necessity for those fish to reserve their energy.

We hope that the fish are still chewing, and maybe even coming back with full hunger as our weather begins to heat up again. It is suggested to seek out big specks in deeper canals or up in the rivers. A free line may also stir up a jack or two, which seems to be plentiful this time of year.

We can’t wait for beautiful weather and bigger fish in the weeks to come. Stop into the bait shop to remain updated on fish species, the type of bait being eaten, and what rigging to use to catch more fish.

That about sum’s up this weeks weekend fishing report.  Visit our Facebook page for more info and good luck out there!