Prepping for a weekend trip

[DKlages]

I am headed down Thursday, Friday and Saturday to fish between Aligator Point and Indian Pass. Any advice/tips/info that might help me get on some fish?

[fishfalcon]

If you find bait, you will find the fish. Watch your water temperature. warmer was better for me last weekend. Fish were over transition points in 3-6 feet of water. Start off fishing slow.

[Steve Stinson]

You aren't getting much help here, but we could use some more info - Have you fished here before or are you starting from scratch? Also - land based trip or do you have a boat?

There are about a half-dozen lures that are in everyone's tackle box down here - Bone colored Zara Spook or other dog-walking lure, chrome Redfin, white or glow 3" Gulp Shrimp, Cajun Thunder or similar popping cork, 1/4 oz. jig heads in white or chartreuse with wide gap hooks. If you're wading and can take only a small box with you these would be my choices.

Fish on an incoming tide if you have a choice, but any moving tide will work. We have just gone through several days of colder than normal weather, which pushes the fish into the creeks, but there are not a lot of those in the area you are talking about. Fortunately, the next 3 days are forecast to be 80 degrees which should turn the bite on.

- Steve Stinson

[DKlages]

If you find bait, you will find the fish. Watch your water temperature. warmer was better for me last weekend. Fish were over transition points in 3-6 feet of water. Start off fishing slow.

Thanks!

[DKlages]

Thanks! For the info. I fish from a Skeeter SX210 and have had mixed success over the past two years fishing this area using the baits you mentioned. I have not fished down there since the end of December. I was hoping that by now the fish had moved back out into the Bay. Is the grass growing enough to Target it?

[Steve Stinson]

I have not been over in that area to check the grass growth, but I can tell you there is short / stubby grass growth over toward Econfina. Based on my experience up here, the fish start hitting around Steinhatchee / Keaton then the bite works toward the North and West.

[Steve Stinson]

One more thought over toward Alligator Harbor - If you can find shallow water over a dark colored bottom, that tends to warm up quicker that the other areas.

[CalGarretson]

I was at Alligator point Sunday through Tuesday. Weather was not great to put it mildly. I ran from Alligator harbor down to the marine lab and fished those flats pretty extensively with poor results. Fished around the harbor looking for some reds, but had no luck at all. The wind had the water pretty churned up everywhere we looked. It was looking better yesterday when we were leaving. Good luck on your trip, I set the bar very low and you should be able to clear it with no problems!

[silverking]

Still howling Wednesday morning enough that I didn't even bother launching the skiff at Lanark. Water looked like mocha milkshake. If it settles down quickly after the expected front blows through Friday am, it should improve. Forecast is calling for reasonable winds Saturday and calmer by Easter.


Steve must have shopped for his tackle box at a different store.

My standard tackle includes DOA 1/4-ounce shrimp in near clear or holographic glitter for over that way. Yes on the noisy topwater and suspending baits (I like Rapala). A handful of shad tails in gold/glitter or pearl/olive back, plus Aqua Dream weedless spoons in gold and chartreuse. If the winds cooperate, small shiny casting spoons with a trace of light wire leader will score Spanish mackerel and bluefish on Dog Island Reef.

Good luck and have fun.

[DKlages]

We had an overall slow day. We fished from Sheepshead Bay to Picalein Bar in the middle of the day. Caught a 15" flounder, a short trout and two redfish in back to back casts: a 23" and a 22"er. Only one other bite. Headed to Lanark tomorrow morning.