Florida Guides Association

Black Crappie Fishing Throughout Florida

Written by Bob Wattendorff | 31 January 2012

Many freshwater anglers love pursuing schools of black crappie during the cooler months in Florida. Non-resident anglers avoiding the deeper chill of the northern states congregate around some of these premier fisheries every winter to join Florida’s own fishers who enjoy pursuing and harvesting these alt succulent pan fishes.

Crappie are high profile fish with their own professional and amateur enthusiasts. Crappie USA kicked off their 2012 season with an event at Crescent Lake in January. Darrell Van Vactor, President of CrappieUSA, said “The 2.63 pound crappie that won the big fish award on Crescent Lake was definitely a great crappie, in fact after running crappie tournaments all over the state of Florida for over 25 years it is the best single fish ever weighed in, and the winning weight of 14.5 pounds for seven fish was also the best winning weight.” He went on to say “Crescent Lake is truly the best crappie water we have found in your state and your department is evidently doing a great management job there.”

Learn about the 10 best crappie lakes in Florida.

Capt. Ray Markham’s West Central Florida Fishing Forecast- February, 2012

Written by Capt. Ray Markham | 15 January 2012

Anglers who get out between cold fronts inshore can find some pretty awesome fishing here on the Suncoast. Approaching fronts will keep offshore boats tied to the dock, and rightly so, because the reality of the situation is that offshore conditions can get pretty surly. You’ll have to pick your days with windows of opportunity to get out. For inshore guys like me, fishing in some of my protected areas can take place most any time. Find a few protected honey holes out of the wind and the action can be hot! alt

Trout fishing reopened in January and for the future, the closure has been eliminated, opening the season for take 12 months out of the year for recreational anglers. Strong management practices for this fish have allowed the additional months of open season without reducing the numbers of fish to the point where it would negatively affect the SPR. Speckled trout are of my client’s favorite fish to catch and keep for dinner.

When water temperatures are cold, these fish generally glue themselves to the bottom. Surface lures lose effectiveness in cold weather with only a few exceptions, and those times are near the tail end of a string of warm, sunny days, usually in the afternoon during the peak of warmth. Chuck a jig out with a long cast using a light braided line like 10-pound Power Pro, and a 15-to 20-pound test stealthy leader like Ande Fluorocarbon or Backcountry co-polymer and you have a good shot at catching dinner. I like the CAL ¼-ounce chartreuse jig head coupled with a CAL #305 night glow or the #309 night glow/ holographic gold rush Shad tail. In the same colors, the DOA Shrimp is a deadly winter lure.

January Fishing Forecast - Ft. Pierce

Written by Capt. Charlie Connor | 01 January 2012

The past several years, January has been a cold month around the Treasure Coast. Hopefully this will be a mild winter and you won’t have to worry about the water temperatures as much this year. Fishing in deeper water will provide you with better results on most days. Working your lures and baits much slower will also give you more success. Fish tend to become lethargic in cold water and are slow in moving to strike at a bait. Finding water that is a alt couple degrees warmer than the surrounding area can also give you an edge on finding fish. We had great results last year on fishing deep sand holes on the flats that were being warmed by the sun. We will certainly be doing that again this year.

January is typically a windy month. You might enjoy one or two days a week that is calmer, but expect it to be windy. Using the right ramps can make your day a little easier in dealing with the weather. There are many ramps around the area that allow you to launch depending on wind direction. The river can be rough some days, but you can still fish most days if you plan your trips carefully. It is a great month to fish in spite of weather conditions that might not be to your liking.

Coast Guard Relaxes TWIC Requirement

Written by Paul McElroy | 31 January 2012

The TWIC program began with Congress passing “The National Maritime Security Act” in 2002. The TSA and Coasties required all Merchant Marine license holders to obtain a TWIC under the guise of “security” for the maritime industry. However, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 exempted mariners on vessels not required to have a “security plan” (generally vessels carrying less than 150 passengers) from the TWIC requirement. That exemption was also in the original Congressional Act that authorized the TWIC, but because the Coasties didn’t know how to identify vessels without “secure areas” and written “security plans” they forced all licensed mariners to get a TWIC by April 15, 2009.

January Fishing Forecast-East Central

Written by Capt. Tom Van Horn | 01 January 2012

Winter on Florida's Space Coast is not defined by any specific seasons, but by the temperature variations and winds created by passing cold fronts. alt These variations are subject to change from year to year, and they are impossible to predict. Average daytime temperatures usually range from the 50's in the morning to around the 70's by afternoon. Likewise, water temperatures average in the upper 60's, but they can drop as low as the 50's during extended periods of cold weather. On warm sunny days, water temperatures can increase as much as four degrees on the shallow flats and sandbars. All of these factors greatly affect species targeted and methods used.