December 2009 Tampa Bay Fishing

The cool air has trickled in this season at an easy pace giving us shots at many different fishing opportunities. The abundance of bait kept us on Mackerel, Snook, Trout and Redfish the entire month last month. Most of the bait that we have caught has been on the smaller side with some really large pieces mixed in. The bait will still hang around depending on how our weather plays out this month.

Now that the water temps have come down a little many fish will have a slower feeding response, so picking up some live shrimp might not be such a bad idea just in case finding bait if tuff or you have a hard time getting fish to eat. Having a nice selection of lures will also come in handy during the winter months. A few good choices would be any top water, jerk baits, spoons and soft plastics.

The winter months are a good time to look for new fishing spots since we have lower tides during this time. These low winter tides will expose all kinds of things such as sunken boats, rock piles, fallen trees and deep pockets on the flats. All of these areas are places where fish will hold up and feed at different tides and time of year. This will help you to get a better understanding of how and where fish hang out or spots that you may have fished before.

Snook

The season just closed for those of us that enjoy a Snook dinner from time to time but that doesn’t mean we have to stop fishing for them. If the water temperature stays up we will still be able to catch a few Snook this month although it will be catch and release fishing only. This means taking very good care of any Snook that you happen to catch during this time.

This is a great time to tie on a top water plug or jerk bait and work the residential docks and along the shoreline of the creeks. While most of these fish will still eat a live bait, there is nothing like watching one blast a lure on the surface in the early morning or afternoon. Fishing for them on days when it’s a little warmer will give you the best chances at finding fish willing to chew.

Redfish

Since the water has cooled down and cleared up, there will be some really good sight fishing in store for those that prefer to cast a lure or fly. It’s no secret that the reds pull out to the outer edges of the sand and grass flats on the super low winter tides. What is tricky is being able to sneak up and present whatever it is you want to throw at them.

If you’re looking to target these winter upper bay reds then the most important tool to have with you is a push pole. This means NO trolling motors what so ever. Some of the boats you might see may have been working a school of fish for hours and all it takes is for a trolling motor, boat motor or even a live well pump to shut down everyone’s shot at the fish.

There will be plenty of Redfish moving into the creeks this month as the water cools down if you’re looking for an easier way to catch them. These fish can be found in the deeper holes during low tide up until it starts to come in. Live shrimp are an excellent choice for bait when targeting reds in the creeks.

Best of the rest

It’s hard to say what species will be around and feeding this month besides the top three (Snook, Trout and Redfish) but there are a few to keep an eye out for. Mackerel may still be around if bait is and can be caught around the range markers and bridges with the help of a chum bag. If things line up right for the Mackerel then we can throw in Blue Fish and even a few Cobia.

If you’re just out to bend a rod then most of the creeks and deeper canals will be holding Jacks, Lady Fish and even a few Silver Trout. Live shrimp fished on the bottom or jigs will be your best choice to entertain your guest or kids this month and through the rest of winter.