Fishing Report - February - By Capt. Eric T. Davis

The month of February can sometimes be the windiest of all; look for good shelter to find fish laid up sunning themselves. With some of the coldest days in February, we still have great sight fishing conditions. The water has been very clear lately, and should continue to be so throughout the month. Approach the fish with care, and take long but accurate cast. Whether your are fishing with bait, lures, or flies, the accuracy of your first or second cast, will pay dividends on catching that fish. Try to give your fellow fishermen the room that they need to work a shoreline that they might be on, Pushing those fish up and down the mangroves will turn off the bite for everyone.

Spoil islands should yield some action on trout, snook, jacks, and ladyfish. DOA shrimp, and or jerk baits, work well, clousers and seaducers are always good flies for those that use a long rod. Some of the sand holes that are scattered on the grass flats, will be prime spots for trout and redfish. Snapper and groupers should continue to be good in the I.C.W., and residential docks. Live shrimp will work the best, but there are some lures that are good producers. Don’t be surprised if you hook a snook, while fishing the docks for snapper. Snook action has been a little off because of the cold conditions, and the amount of fish that were killed this winter. The beach action will be good for bluefish, mackerel, and pompano. The calm days will keep the seas down, and the clarity of the water should be good. Once the waves get too rough, the water gets dirty, and the fishing usually slows down. Take time to release those snook that you do catch, with care.

BELOW WILL GIVE YOU A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT FISHING WILL BE LIKE FOR THE MONTHS INDICATED

January & February

• Large numbers of Trout, Jacks, Ladyfish
• Some Bluefish, good Redfish, Pompano, Spanish Mackerel
• Some Tarpon & Snook in the Sebastian River

March & April

• Some Trout, many Jacks, Ladyfish
• Good Bluefish & Spanish Mackerel (weather permitting)
• Tarpon & Snook very good in the Sebastian River
• Largemouth Bass excellent in Stick Marsh/farm 13

May & June

• Generally good all around fishing
• Sebastian River Tarpon very good
• Snook fishing good along spoil islands
• Calm ocean means giant Tarpon & Sharks, huge Jacks
• Largemouth Bass very good

July & August

• Calm ocean; Tarpon, Sharks, Bonita, King fish.
• Keys fishing excellent.
• Early morning and late evening are best in the river for Trout, Snook, Redfish, Jacks.
• Giant Redfish in the Inlet.

September & October

• Many Trout, Jacks, and Ladyfish
• Large Redfish in the inlet
• Snook fishing very good
• Large Tarpon in the ocean
• Small Tarpon in the Sebastian River
• Start of the Flounder run
• Largemouth Bass very good

November & December

• Fishing is fantastic - Trout, Snook, Jacks, Flounder, Pompano,
  Ladyfish, Bluefish, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, and even some good Tarpon