DECEMBER FISHING

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As the inshore water gets cooler this month small baitfish vacate our waters and shrimp become the primary diet for most fish. With the exception of mullet, there are not any fish I can think of in our coastal waters that won’t eat a shrimp; in fact shrimp is the mainstay for most inshore species diet, especially through the winter.

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As the temperature drops it should give a big boost for targeting sheepsheads, big pre-spawn fish move inshore with the lower temperatures. Look for fish, with many scaling over five pounds hanging around structure, including dock and bridge pilings, rock jetties along the beach, and on oyster bars. As November progressed I noticed a good amount of sheepsheads already moving inshore. If you don’t mind fishing in the cold, then this is your fish, the colder the better for sheepsheads.

Pompano are similar to sheepsheads in the fact that they will not eat any type of baitfish, but feed primarily on small crustaceans including shrimp, crabs, sand fleas, etc.,. Quarter or eight ounce nylon jigs tipped with a small piece of shrimp can be deadly on pompano when properly bounced across the bottom. Popular colors are white, pink and yellow. Silly Willy jigs have also gained a lot of popularity since introduced. Live shrimp suspended near the bottom under a popping cork is also a great offering. Both sheepsheads and pompano have relatively small mouths so it is important not to use a large hook, if you are unsure of the size stop in at your local tackle shop and let them hook you up.

Trout fishing should remain steady to close out the year. Look for fish moving off the shallow grass flats to deeper protected areas as temperatures drop. Deep areas around oyster bars, creeks, canals, and potholes are good areas to target. Redfish and snook can be found from the same area, plus larger reds can be sight fished on the lower tides over shallow flats adjacent to deeper water. Again, shrimp is the best bait, either the real thing or any of the many imitations.

Snook season is closed, catch and release only, if the weather is relatively warm there could be some good snook action. Snook will transition to deeper protected waters over the month where they will spend the winter.

As the craziness of the holiday season builds there is no place like a day on the water to get away from the madness. There will be some great fishing opportunities as we end the year, plus if you enjoy wildlife and nature, this is as good as it gets. Even if the fish aren’t biting, I still can’t think of a better place to spend the day than with nature and tranquility, and away from the crowds.