Guide bites
Capt. Matt Cowden (727-534-6603): Capt. Matt reports that winter conditions mean fishing in the Anclote River is most productive, as fish use the river as a sanctuary when Gulf water temperatures plunge as they have. He’s been putting his customers on sheepshead and black drum, two reliable species in cold-water situations. Live shrimp and crabs rigged on jig heads have been getting it done. Trout have moved inside the river as well, gathering in deeper holes and drop offs of oyster bars. From there they can move into shallower water as the sun warms things up in the afternoons. With even more severe cold predicted, anglers can expect all species to push farther into the Anclote, seeking ever-warmer water and greater depths: canals connected to the river, their docks, seawalls and mangroves and deeper pockets places fish will be escaping the chill.
Capt. Josh Fritz (352-345-9304): Capt. Josh says winter weather can be a challenge, but he’s finding very good action on trout, which he expects to hold up even with more cold on the way. He’s finding the fish in deep holes in canals and creeks, with occasional spikes in action on rocky points and bars in shallow water on days the sun warms the shallows. He’s been using 5.5-inch white DOA flukes to take some nice-sized fish. The holes in these backwaters also are holding sheepshead, black drum and some redfish. All three are cold-water hardy and will feed readily on shrimp. Offshore, the bite is good starting in 25 feet, with a mix of mangrove snapper, hogfish and sheepshead taking shrimp on rocky bottom and around breaks. The bigger, winter sheepshead are showing up there in greater numbers. It’s now and into March that the big females move offshore to spawn and the best time of the year for anglers to land the big ones.
Tackle shop roundup
The Rusty Bucket (727-645-6598): Capt. Bill reports that the colder water means all the inshore action is in the warmer, deeper backwaters, where fish can escape the chilly Gulf. He’s been putting his anglers on a mix of trout, reds, drum, sheepshead and mangrove snapper. The bite has been limited to deeper pockets of water, with live shrimp the go-to bait. He’s been rigging with split shot or Sheep Balls to get the shrimp to the bottom, where everything is feeding right now. A good option has been nice-sized trout, which have been at the Anclote power plant outfall canal in good numbers. Inside the canal has been a good place to tuck in and catch fish on windy days. Pompano jigs or soft-plastic swim baits have been working well, with the jigs also connecting with a few pompano. That bite has been inconsistent of late, making the wintertime pompano hotspot not what many were hoping for.
J&J Bait and Tackle (727-940-7928): In the cold conditions we’ve been seeing (and it looks like more is on the way, according to the weather reports), James at the shop likes to steer anglers to the Anclote power plant outfall canal, where on particularly cold days, warm water used to cool the generators is expelled by the plant makes the spot just a block away from the shop a potential hotspot. Fish take refuge in the warmer water and of late, big trout, pompano and mangrove snapper have been taken. The trout take live shrimp or DOA shrimp, while Doc’s Goofy Jigs are tops for the pompano. The pompano bite hasn’t been nearly as consistent this season as the trout, so connecting with those is a hit-or-miss proposition. Those who put in the time there, as well as know how to fish the jigs, are most likely to score the species, known as a scrappy fighter and excellent on the table.