Fishing with Captain Jay

Do inshore saltwater fish bite in cold weather? Although patterns change and your fishing methods call for a little more strategic planning, it can be very productive. The redfish is a much sought after species for anglers during the winter months all over the coast. Why? Well, redfish are active in the winter, especially in the shallow flats, which warm up quickly on sunny days.

Tide height, water temperature, water clarity and available baitfish are all factors which will cause all fish to move about searching for favorable areas and conditions.

We like to concentrate on fishing structure in the winter, with live or frozen shrimp and occasionally some artificials. The redfish near structure seem to be less affected by the constantly changing weather as compared to the other areas.

Bridges are an angler’s best friend. They can be fish magnets during the colder months! Most bridges are usually found in deeper water and have great structure and good current flow. Docks are also extremely productive spots and are often found in protected areas. Be sure not to interfere with any homeowners’ docks or tie up to a dock unless you have permission.

Fishing these protected areas, out of the wind, will allow anglers the chance to catch a few fish. Usually, any type of structure will hold fish. Make sure you have plenty of tackle. If you're not losing a little tackle from time to time you're probably not fishing in the right place.

When fishing in the winter months, the fish Charter guest with her sheepshead. are fairly easy to locate. They will seek out and Photo by Captain Jay Cranford hold along the deeper sections of the rivers and creek mouths. The fish tend to set up an ambush point in the outside bends where the water is considerably deeper than the other areas.

I try to target my fishing along ledges. Fish seem to like it on shallow ledges that move into deeper water. Fish different depths until you find the depth they prefer on that particular ledge. When the tide is falling the fish will usually (not always) position themselves along that drop, and on the incoming tide that’s half full or better, the fish will concentrate on top of the ledge.

As you may know, some of the best spots to find fish in the winter months are along areas with a shell bottom. But don't expect to catch just what you targeted. All species of fish are usually feeding there, including sharks and stingrays. Also remember, all types of inshore species love hard bottom areas. Even the best anglers make the mistake of thinking that oyster shells need to be present, but many creeks and rivers don’t have oyster beds and it's easy to overlook a possible productive area that could be stacked with fish. But make no mistake, oyster bed bottoms are, in fact, one of the best places to find redfish and trout, and especially redfish in the winter months. Clams are also a favorite food. Great fishing can Captain Jay has over 20 years experience fishing the Georgia coast. He's passionate about fishing and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with you! gacharterfishing@gmail.com • www.coastalgafishing.com/

COLD WEATHER BITE By Captain Jay Cranford www.coastalgafishing.com be found around areas with clam-shell bottoms as well.

Don't forget about the sheepshead! Sheepshead also love structure; rocks, bricks, concrete pylons, around docks and bridges are all favorite feeding places. Look for them in these spots at the bottom end of low tide and close to the high end of high tide. But watch out – too much current makes it difficult to keep your rig on the bottom and "feel the bite." Sheepshead can put up a fight and can range from four or five pounds to some as big as 10 pounds or more, so be sure you have a good net. We like the EGO S2 Slider nets for our inshore boats. They are heavy duty and our favorites to use. Purple-back fiddlers seems to be the bait of choice although you can catch them on dead shrimp and oysters. Sheepshead can be tricky to catch. We express to our customers that you need to try to set the hook "right before he bites." Sheepshead are sometimes called "convict fish" because they do steal a lot of bait! Although they may be a little tough to clean, the meat is extremely tasty and quite delicious. It’s my wife's favorite fish for making fish dip! Fish are smart, but if you do your homework you can outsmart some, catch your fair share and have fun doing it! Be a good steward of our waters, don't litter and only keep what you plan to eat. There will be more opportunities the next time you go.

Don't wish ... let's go fish!