Shelia Rees, Chase N Fish and Billy Rees with a nice limit of trout and reds. They even found a nice flounder hungry for their pearl Gulp! this past Sunday.
Outside the creeks
Doug Barrett with a nice 5lb'er caught on a Paul Brown Original number 91 while fishing with Rick Davidson. He and Rick caught around 20 keeper size trout with several over 4lbs.
February's Fishing Report and Forecast
Sheepshead have already been spotted and should be thick around the upcoming full moon at the end of the month. The Steinhatchee Reef, Shrimp boat wreck and rock piles are the places to be. Eagle Claw's snelled hooks or knocker style rigs with Mustads 3407 Size 2, 4, 6 (extra strong- will not straighten) Mustads 92611 or Eagle Claw 085A hooks . Bait with live shrimp or fiddler crabs.An alternative to a knocker rig is a whole live shrimp, tail removed, threaded backwards on a 3/8-ounce jig head.
Pete Severens got a good shot of these nice Florida Snapper while diving this past weekend.
Black Sea Bass and Florida snapper are abundant on hard bottom in 30 feet of water. Some of their favorite food is cut bait or squid.
The trout and redfish are hanging around the oyster bars, in the large creek mouths and river channel. Good catches are still coming in from between markers 18 and 23. Live shrimp on the bottom and MirrOlures 17MR, 27MR and 52MR are popular chioces.
Bobby Gastley from Clarksville,GA with one of several nice trout he caught in the river Tuesday on a paddle tail grub.
Remember 2 reds per person and no closed season on trout. Red grouper will be closed for February and March.
Get Ready for the Sheepshead Season
This is what it looked like at the shrimp boat last year when Sea Hag customer Pete Severens took this photo.
We've Got Fiddler Crabs!
Stop by and pick up your crabs today!
Here are a few GPS numbers for locating your Sheepshead.
Steinhatchee Reef - 29 39.90N - 8337.59W
Steinhatchee Reef - 29.39.85N - 83.37.81W
Steinhatchee Reef - 29 39.48N - 83 37.49W
Tackle needed:
* Make sure to have 2 to 3 feet of 30# mono above your hook
* Hooks - Mustad 3407 Size 2, 4, 6 (extra strong- will not straighten) Mustad 92611 or Eagle Claw 085A
* Egg sinker - 1/2oz or ¾ oz up to 2oz.
* #7 barrel swivels
* Live or Frozen shrimp, Gulp 3" or 4" shrimp, Fiddler Crabs
Fishing for the Sheepshead can be better on a high outgoing tide. They become more active in a faster current.
How to rig the line:
Slide the sinker on your main line then tie the swivel on. Tie about 18 to 24 inches of the leader to the swivel. Tie on the hook of your choice. The long shank hooks can be a blessing when retrieving from the mouth of the fish. Attach your bait. Lower your rig in the water until it reaches bottom and then reel it back up about a foot or so.
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