Fishing Tips and Techniques
This section of the Florida Guides Association website is devoted to increasing our readers knowledge base for fishing. Whether you target snook, redfish, trout, tarpon or any other species - freshwater or salt - you will be able to pick up some useful techniques from our Florida Guides Association member guides who contribute to the knowledge base.
| 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!
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.
| 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 
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.
| 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. 
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.
| 31 August 2011
September is always an exciting month to fish along theTreasure Coast. Anglers eagerly await the arrival of the annual fall mullet run. The beaches and rivers will be filled with mullet and you can find lots of predators following the bait this month. Look for tarpon, snook, jacks, bluefish and many other species feeding on the mullet this month.
Top water and suspending lures work fantastic in September. Try a DOA Baitbuster or Big Fish lure while fishing around the large schools of mullet. It's a great time of year to fish early mornings along the beach. The fish will be cornering the bait along the surf and action can be fun and exciting.
| 31 August 2011
September marks the beginning of the fall bait migration, primarily silver mullet, which increase as we progress into October and November. It is hard to predict precisely when and how strong the run will be, but along with the arrival of the bait, come the predatory species we love so much.
Look for snook, tarpon, jack crevalle, sharks, and large kingfish crushing bait pods along the beach. The pods are easily located by watching for fish and birds busting the bait. Once you've determined the direction of fish movement, usually south, simply set up in front and let them come to you. This is my preferred time of year for targeting snook and tarpon along the beach.
