Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By DOUG HEMMER
Published January 10, 2006

Trout will continue to be the dominant inshore species for the next few months. The trick to locating the schools is to follow the weather patterns and water temperature. Cold fronts will bring high winds and cooler water temperatures. This will cause the schools to move to deeper dropoffs that line the edge of the flats. Just prior to a front is the best time to target trout. They will feed heavily when they feel the barometer pressure drop as a cool front approaches.

Most of the schools will hang over grass flats with sandy holes lining the area. The bigger trout like the swash islands that have a rock and sand bottom. After a front, they will move to the closest area that has deeper water. Studying a navigation chart will help you find the closest dropoff to the area you have been fishing.

When trout are still near the swash islands or hanging in the flats 2 foot deep or less use a jig that's light enough to work close to the bottom. If you work the jig too far off the bottom, the trout won't strike.

After the front passes and the water temperature drops five or more degrees, use a heavier jig or a hard body sinking lure to work the deeper cuts closest to the areas where you found the trout before the front. They will stay in the deeper spots until the water temperature starts to rise. This should be a continuing pattern until the end of March.

--Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 347-1389.

[Last modified January 10, 2006, 01:52:17]