Sure, the wind has been blowing, and the water is cold. And the tides are really low. But there's no use complaining because that won't put fish in the boat. Tweak your technique to help put winter conditions in your favor.

Hiding or finding places out of the wind inshore isn't that difficult. Tucking away behind or on the lee side of mangrove islands is one way of beating the wind. So is slipping into residential canals or small, backwater bays and bayous. Fish want to get out of the wind too, and it's not unusual to find schools of trout, reds, and the like there.

With the water temperature in the low 60s, break out the artificials, particularly the jig. The jig is one of the most versatile fake baits around. Jigs can be worked extremely slow and still be productive and that is what you want now. Creep the jig along the bottom so it creates little puffs of sand. Use the lightest jig head you can get away with, and dress it up with your favorite tail. Color is a matter of preference, but electric chicken with its glass minnow look-alike is extremely hot.

The lowest tides of the year are occurring and there's no better time to find out about your hot spots. Also, fish will get bunched up in troughs and holes in these low tide conditions.

-- Capt. Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376 or by e-mail at captrick@luckydawg.com.

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