It seems to me that were having a mild winter season. Today, Monday the 19th of December it was 40 degrees F in the morning and warmed up to 70 by 2pm. The wind was light and the sun was shining bright. We had the same conditions 1 week ago as George and Lorie Rummele went fishing with me. It was George`s birthday.
The water temperature was 62`F when we started and only warmed 1 degree our entire trip. That`s pretty cold for `flats` fishing. It took 2 hours before we started to catch fish one after another. The tide was half-way in and the sky was perfectly clear and the wind had died down to almost nothing when we started to catch speckled trout as quick as we tossed our lines in.
We floated shrimp on popping bobbers, and weighted some down to lay on the bottom. Caught `em both ways. I tied a small white plastic jig with a red head on a 16in. leader and made up another one with only half the length of leader.
Can you picture it? 2 little white jigs bouncing along the bottom. The trout loved it. They attacked it. I caught 2 at a time. My folks were catch and release fisherfolks so we weren`t going to keep any from the start. It was a good thing. We couldn`t find a 15in `keeper` trout. Many real close, but none big enough for the cooler.
I had promised to give them a shot at a redfish around an oyster bar, so we headed over to Seahorse Key and sure enough Lorie snatched one up on the 1st cast. It too was 1in. shy of the 18in. legal keeping size. Her 1st red.
They both were avid freshwater fisherfolks and were glad to get out on the saltwater and see the sights and catch different species of fish and breathe the fresh air while dolphins surged around us birds flew and swam everywhere.
I came home with a little sunburn on my nose. In the picture, George is holding 1 of many trout he caught. If you look closely, you can see 1 jig hanging and 1 in the trout`s mouth. A `2 jig` lure. Lorie wouldn`t let me print her pic of her redfish. The 2nd pic is of the calm water that day. I have a trip Wed. the 21st and I hope the fine weather holds.
thanks, Capt. Dan....call me at 352-221-5463 or visit my website inshorefloridafishing.com inshorefloridafishing.com | 
