Gator trout are another story. Unlike schoolie trout they will venture into shallow water to feed, and still prefer dawn and dusk in the shallows even in winter. The big trout are spotted so they camouflage well, easily blending in with grassy bottom. Expect to find them near sand spots and potholes in the grass where they ambush baitfish moving across the open areas. From high atop my poling platform, I have also seen big winter trout lying motionless in the center of white, sandy holes. I believe they feel secure on the flats because the water is so clear and shallow that nothing can approach without their knowledge. By midday, the shallow flats will have warmed a couple of degrees, and by early afternoon they are teeming with baitfish, a gator trout’s primary prey.
Stealth is absolutely necessary to take these oversized trout. Most will see you before you see them, but if you have recently been on a flat and know where a pod is hiding or happen to see one in a distant pothole, you need to cast from as great a distance as possible.
Also, if you spook a big trout or two, chances are there are other solitary fish in that area. Fan-cast the flat thoroughly in that case. To increase casting distance spool your line with a smaller diameter monofilament or switch to braided line, and use a longer spinning rod, which can be a help during calm conditions. My favorite lure for big trout in shallow water is a 4- to 5-inch soft-plastic jerkbait rigged on a size 2/0 offset worm hook. It can be cast surprisingly far, lands softly, and can be worked in shallow, grass-filled water so that it looks like a finger-sized mullet or other baitfish.
Redfish, unlike trout, don’t tend to hunker down and remain pretty much in one location throughout the winter. As water temperatures drop, small pods of redfish merge into sometimes huge schools that search for food in the warmest water they can find. A degree or two will make all the difference, so keep that in mind when hunting them. You can carry a thermometer or install a temp gauge, but common sense can put you on that warmer water.
Creek Comfort
Slip out of the chilly wind into the backcountry where dark-bottom creeks wind through the salt marsh. That is, if you want to catch trout when temperatures plunge.
We’re not the only creatures who seek warmer digs when cold fronts roar into town. Fish do, too, trout especially. There’s something to be said for leaving open water for hidey holes tucked between high, muddy banks that suck up the sun’s heat.
Though bigger trout do stick to flats in the dead of winter, repeated cold fronts drive schools of trout deep into Northeast Florida and Southeast U.S. creeks during winter’s rawest days. When water temps plunge into the low 60s and mid 50s, spotted seatrout often pull up stakes, exiting Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) edges for warmer, brackish environs. For pure numbers, such fisheries are hard to beat.
Tributaries that trickle from freshwater springs into the ICW offer many advantages—for both fish and fishermen. Water that’s sometimes as much as five or six degrees warmer than the nearby, wind-and current-swept ICW provides trout with an “extra” layer of insulation. Even better, bait also stacks up in these same creeks, affording trout quick access to an easy meal.
Scouting for the best trout creeks is something any angler can master with a bit of practice. A water temperature gauge on your boat is a valuable tool in this endeavor. Simply monitor the gauge as you travel deep into winding tributaries. Note places where water temps shoot up a couple of degrees, determine the lay of the land—major holes, undercut banks, oyster bars—and flip out a jig. A few casts should be enough to tell you if any trout are around. Another strategy is to slow-troll a jig or a sinking plug. When you catch a fish, swing around and pepper the area with a few casts. Trout school tight in cold weather and where you catch one, chances are others are nearby.
—Frank Bolin
Redfish, unlike trout, don’t tend to hunker down and remain pretty much in one location throughout the winter. As water temperatures drop, small pods of redfish merge into sometimes huge schools that search for food in the warmest water they can find. A degree or two will make all the difference, so keep that in mind when hunting them. You can carry a thermometer or install a temp gauge, but common sense can put you on that warmer water. Begin your mornings by searching on the west bank of a river or bay. The rising sun shines more directly on this portion of water so it warms first. The same logic applies later in the day when the opposite shore continues to be warmed by the late-afternoon sun. Wind-protected pockets of shallow water warm quickly on sunny days. If you find a patch of off-colored, muddy water in the middle of one of these protected pockets, perhaps reds are rooting on the bottom and have stirred it up. Even if that is not the case, suspended sediments tend to hold more heat, so chances are reds will be there. While reds normally shun silted bottoms, I have seen winter days when these dark bottoms cause shallow bays to be several degrees warmer and fill with both baitfish and predators.
There are some misconceptions about big winter redfish schools. From a distance, when I spot a dozen or so redfish tailing, I assume that there are many more fish beneath the surface. Never cast into the middle of the visible reds. Yes, you may get the bite, but the resulting commotion will spook the entire school. Try making a couple of casts just short of the tailers, where unseen fish may be milling about on the perimeter. If that does not produce a strike, cast closer, to the outer edge of the tailers. If you are fishing with another angler, each of you should cast to a different side. Remember, you are trying to take multiple fish before the school bolts for good. When the school finally does spook, do not chase them! They’ll only continue to move away from you so long as you pursue them. Your best tactic is to stay put and watch them. Even if you no longer see the school moving, stay where you are for a few minutes and see if a passing boat or bird flying overhead moves them again. Chances are they will circle back and resume feeding where they were when you startled them. If not, then pole ahead to find them.
Winter does demand that you tweak your game plan a bit, but redfish and trout have to eat all winter long, so they can be caught. Simply “winterize” your tactics and you’ll find some of the best shallow-water opportunities of the year.
