Yes, the cold water has slowed inshore fishing, but there is almost always a way to put a bend in your rod if you put your mind to it.
One of my favorites is starting in the cool, early-morning hours patrolling the flats outside the Anclote River and power plant for the marauding schools of big jack cravelles that usually are there. In calm water, they push large wakes and crash small fish.
We usually position the boat ahead of a school and cast top-water plugs as it comes by. Often, 20 more jacks will attack the lure before one or two get hooked. Many weigh more than 10 pounds and are a blast on light tackle.
They fight hard, and better yet, they are very cooperative even when some of the other fish are sluggish from the cold. When the school comes through, everyone gets a bite or hookup. Fly-fishing also works good for the jacks provided you can get a cast in front of them quickly.
Because this area receives warmer water plume generated by the power plant, other species such as cobia, permit, pompano and speckled trout also might be encountered. As the sun gets higher and the shallows warm, we move on to hunt for redfish and gator trout in areas with muddy or needle grass bottom.
