This past week presented us with midday low tides which
usually is very productive during the winter months for both trout and red
fish. Generally redfish will become active as the sun heats up the smaller
tidal tributaries in very shallow pockets. Trout on the other hand, will also
seek warmer areas, but often in depths in around 8-14 feet. In both cases last
week’s tides were very moderate, which generated extremely clear water
conditions. Often, in the winter, slower presentations are needed to entice a strike
as the fish’s metabolic rates have slowed down, with cooler water temperatures.
Last week, and one day in particular we had to actually speed up the retrieve
to get bit!
The key to last week’s trout bite was to actually snap the
baits along with very short pauses. I usually advise small hops and crawls,
along the bottom with a 3” D.O.A. ¼ ounce shrimp or a C.A.L. curl tail. The
fish had moved slightly shallower and my guess is that picking up the pace did
not allow the fish to get a good look at the imitation shrimp. The
watermelon/halo was the go to color, and again, the sharp twitches were the
trick.
The redfish did not seem to care what the offering was and
bit aggressively for most of the week…when we could find them. A little
exploring definitely paid off as once we located fish there were many and they
were very cooperative. While most of the fish have been in the 15-25” class we
did manage to find some singles and doubles in the 6-10 lb. range. We are still
relying heavily on the C.A.L. jerk baits with weighted worm hooks. A long cast
and soft entry keeps the schools from scattering. At times when reeling in a
fish, another one or two would stay with the hooked fish right up to the boat.
We’ll shut her down for a little preventive maintenance on the
boat this week during the full moon but should be good to go for the weekend!
Captain Tim Cutting
fishthegeorgiacoast.com
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