Sports

Outdoors

Captain's corner

The return of "seasonal" weather has the fish behaving more like they should for January.

By DAVE WALKER, Times correspondent
Published January 11, 2007

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What's hot: The return of "seasonal" weather has the fish behaving more like they should for January. Last week's warm weather created difficult conditions for bay area anglers. But the recent cold weather has turned on the speckled trout for those braving the elements. They will bite on the coldest of mornings, making them a viable target, especially now that they are back in season. They have been especially cooperative in the past few days.

Tactics: They like to head off the flats toward deeper and slightly warmer water. Any deep hole adjacent to an established grass flat is a likely place to find specks. A slow retrieve with a soft plastic jig is all you need for success. A live shrimp with a small split shot or "free-lined" usually will be irresistible to winter trout.

Tips: Trout have keen eyesight, which coupled with exceptional water clarity make it necessary to use light leader material. They do not have sharp teeth, so thin leaders are sufficient. Circle hooks work well for trout. The light circle or kale style works wonders. Just remember not to set the hook. After years of jerking it may be hard to kick the habit. But if you set with a circle hook, most fish will escape. Just reel it in after a strike is noticed. This style of hook is very effective and good for novice anglers.

Captain Dave Walker charters out of Tampa and can be reached at www.snookfish.com or 813 310-6531 e-mail is captdavewalker@verizon.not

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[Last modified January 10, 2007, 23:08:53]

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