Weather poses a challenge in El Nino winters

El Nino winters really suck. Trying to figure out weather that is generally predictable is a challenge.

The waffling fronts have not produced exceptionally cold weather, but the raw winds and rain will drop the water temperatures  in a hurry, and all knowledgeable anglers know how important the water temps are to successful angling. Most important is knowing what to target and where depending on conditions.

Due to the wind and rain we have not ventured forth much at week’s end. On Tuesday a pair of clients and I headed out and opted to fish a winter pattern with live shrimp and artificials around deep water docks in North Sarasota Bay and Palma Sola. We were rewarded with steady action with small redfish, big black drum, mangrove snapper, a few early sheepies and flounder. The action came at the last few hours of a so-so incoming tide coupled with a major solunar period leading up to the top of the tide.

This scenario is going to become fairly routine over the next several months. If we do not have an extremely hard norther that brings in subfreezing temperatures, there will still be good action with spanish mackerel, bluefish, pompano and trout on the deeper grass flats in the bays and off the beaches of Anna Maria and Longboat Key. If water temps drop to the high 50s, all bets are off except for sheepshead, flounder, redfish, drum and trout.

The nearshore reefs in the Gulf will pick up dramatically over the winter months when the winds allow you to get out there. Snapper, grouper, triggers, sheepies, flounder, hogfish and even some Gulf run trout will please anglers off the local beaches.

Snook are off limits in the cooler until spring, but anglers looking for some good sport with chunky linesiders need to look up the local rivers, creeks and canals where the salt mixes with sweetwater. Any number of artificial offerings such as spoons, jigs and any topwater or crankbaits intended for largemouth bass will certainly work well for snook in the extreme backwaters.

Good luck and good fishing. Be careful out there!

Capt. "Zach" Zacharias

(941) 795-5026

E-mail: zachap@aol.com

Docked on Palma Sola Bay at Parrot Cove Marina/Sunny Shores

115th Street West and 36th Avenue, Cortez, FL 34215