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Anglers must adjust methods in cooler temps

By ED WALKER
Published December 11, 2006

Plummeting water temperatures and stiff breezes cause major changes in fish behavior. Cold winds from the north are never good for inshore or offshore fishing. Expect to find dirty water out to at least 12 miles and lots of floating weeds and grass, making grouper fishing tough. Gags will move around in dirty water, but do not bite very well.

You might get a few keepers by soaking fresh cut baits over the larger rock piles in murky areas. Trolling plugs, which can be excellent this time of year, do not work in dirty water or when there is a lot of floating grass. If the weather is nice, the best grouper action will be where clean water is. That could be as far as 25 miles out. Once you locate good visibility near suitable bottom, grouper there should be ready to feed.

Inshore, winter has come early. For this weekend, the huge drop in water temperature means it is time to head for power-plant outfall canals or deep holes and channels. There have been plenty of pompano and small permit around the Anclote plant in Tarpon Springs. When the air is very cold, they huddle up in the discharge canal. And when the sun comes out, they move onto nearby grass flats to feed. When the "pomps" really turn on, the bite can be fast and furious.

Years ago, two other anglers and I hit the power plant at just the right time one morning and landed more than 75 pompano, all caught on small jigs. Most were released. Bag limits are now six pompano and permit combined. Either species must measure 11 inches to the fork of the tail, and only one fish of each over 20 inches may be kept.

Small, fast-sinking yellow hair jigs are the choice of most pompano die-hards, though some use small fiddler crabs on the bottom. These fish are great fighters, especially on ultralight graphite spinning rods. Also mixed in with them are ladyfish, jacks, sheepshead, bluefish, speckled trout, a few snook, redfish, and cobia.

Each species seems to come in waves, requiring extra rods to be rigged and ready to go when action shifts. When bluefish turn on, large spoons or topwater plugs and wire leaders are needed. If specks begin to feed, live shrimp are the bait of choice.

If fishing among a large number of anglers beneath a massive building and smokestack is not your thing, check out rivers and creeks, especially those with springs. These areas are the all-natural warm-water refuges for shallow-water fish. Though not as warm as the power plants, the springs do attract a wide variety of fish.

Small tarpon are a winter favorite in the upper stretches of the Cottee and Anclote rivers. They usually congregate close to springs, both large and small. In fact, if you see tarpon rolling regularly in the same spot on a very cold day, chances are there is a spring below the surface.

Winter tarpon can be very finicky. Some days they strike live bait or jigs readily, and others they won't hit anything. Most are 10 to 20 pounds, but a few 30-plus pounders are caught in the rivers each winter.

[Last modified December 10, 2006, 23:24:57]