December 2010
The coldest December on record. Need I say more? Water temperatures dipped into the upper 40's and slid back into the mid 50s for the rest of the month. Getting on the water was tough due to the winds howling from the north most of the time.
For the most part, our winter fish, redfish, trout and sheepshead, had not settled into their winter locations because of a mild November.
As December unfolded, the fish scattered to the deepest and warmest water they could find, making it very difficult to find their whereabouts. Later in the month, the water temperature stabilized in the high 50's and the fish started to show up in their normal haunts.
My clients in Dec. were catching trout and redfish in Clearwater and Dunedin. We made numerous stops and threw out lots of shrimp and artificials to catch our fish. Using the afternoon tide was the most productive. The water temperature around 1 pm to about 4 pm was the warmest of the day and in some of the back waters reached into the low 60s. This condition netted our biggest fish.
As we progress farther into January, I think we will have more normal conditions and water temperature averaging around 60 degrees. This should lure the fish out of the abyss and start the winter bite.
Capt. Gary Burch
www.allcatchcharters.com
727 458-6335
