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!

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.

Redfish are one of our heartiest winter fish. They will cooperate under extreme conditions. MirrOlure’s Lil’ John soft plastic jerk bait rigged on a sixteenth or an eighth ounce jig head lands softly on the water. Redfish that will feed can usually be found in small protected coves that are sheltered from the wind, but have access to direct sunlight. A dark muddy bottom will heat up quickly as the sun rises and heads for the afternoon. Move these lures slowly with sharp, short twitches of the rod. Braided line with a 20-to 25-pound leader will suffice. When water is very clear, make leaders at least 30-inches long. Leaders at least this long add a bit of stealth that puts spooky redfish at ease. A CAL Shad is another top choice for redfish in the shallows. These fish will get so shallow at times only a wade fisher or very shallow drafting boat will get to them. Skinny water reds can be found sunning themselves with their backs exposed to the air.

Flounder made a tremendous presence in 2011. Exceptional numbers of some fairly large flounder were caught, mostly on jigs and lures that could be worked on the bottom. Catching flounder is not difficult, providing you are fishing where the fish are. Maintain contact with the bottom with your jig as much as possible. Twitch the jig with your rod tip down, forcing the jig to move minimally across the bottom, kicking up small puffs of mud as the lure moves. This action attracts attention from flounder that may be following.

Silver trout can be found in deep holes in Tampa Bay, along the beaches, and up rivers like the Manatee River. Good numbers are caught each year in Terra Ceia, Tampa and in Sarasota Bays. Tandem rigged jigs like the new DOA Deadly Tandem are excellent for silvers. There are no bag or size limits on silvers. These fish do not freeze well. The flesh of silver trout deteriorates rapidly once they are frozen. Keeping only what is needed for a fresh meal or two gives you the best flavor these fish have to offer and maintains the resource.

Sheepshead will be coming into their spawn around the full moon beginning in February. Some of the largest sheepies of the year are usually caught during the next two months. They are a tough catch on artificial lures, but tipping jigs with a small thumbnail size morsel of fresh shrimp can add to your mixed winter bag of fish. You’ll find the bulk of these fish around boat docks and structure, like the many artificial reefs that were made from the rubble of the old Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Lower Tampa Bay around the Clam Bar on the Pinellas side is notorious for holding some monster black drum that begin moving into the bay over the next couple of months. Many of these breeders range up into the 50-plus pound bracket. Due to their size, stout rods and line are advised in order to land these beasts. Like the sheepshead, these fish will take a shrimp tipped jig. A bag limit of 5-fish per person between 14 and 24-inches may be kept and one of these five may be over 24-inches. Black drum over the maximum size begin holding more parasitic worms. While they may be harmless to ingest when cooked properly, some feel that they aren’t very appetizing.

Capt. Ray Markham of Backwater Promotions runs the Flat Back II out of Terra Ceia and can be reached for charter at (941) 228-3474 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .