Trout are Getting the Hook!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are having the best holiday season! Here is what’s going on out there! Stable conditions can sometimes make catching fish a little more challenging. High pressure and blue bird skies, like we’ve had lately, can cause fish to be shy and require a lot more patience. Also, typical cool nights have lowered the water temperature a few degrees, although it is climbing slightly.      Snook are still lingering around the islands in north Pinellas but are very apprehensive to eat. They are mostly staging, awaiting the right time to head deep into the back country for winter. As usual for this time of year, our main focus has been trout. Although the numbers aren’t quite what coming months will bring, they are beginning to show up. Light colored jigs worked near the bottom along the rocks and sand surrounding the spoil islands have been getting strikes. Live shrimp freelined during the falling tides have been best. Once a few fish are located, it doesn’t take long to get some bites from trout as well as the many small foraging fish. Pinfish, puffer fish and porgies can be a real nuisance for a live shrimp and artificials. Make long distance casts and reel in to cast again once the bait is halfway back. Trout tend to keep their distance, yet the small predators will continue to nip the bait all the way to the boat. If the trout are not getting a chance to eat because of the small competitors, move a few yards and try again. And remember, trout are finicky and don’t like a half-eaten shrimp.