The water temperature out around the Cedar Key area has dropped down into the low 60s`. Each year about this time, January and February, when the temperature of the water drops below 60 degrees, we know that catching fish over the `flats` and around oyster bars is pretty hard to do. From this time all the way to the 1st of March the coastal waters of northwest central Florida are so cool that the speckled trout and redfish and mackerel and every other species have sought out warmer waters. They`ve headed south, where else? There is 1 other way to snatch a redfish up nearby. An airboat will be able to get into the `back` waters of Cedar Key where there are tide pools left from the outgoing water and fishes in the shallow warmer holes. On a clear sunny day the shallow water in those pools warms up and a redfish will stay in the pool the whole day. It will be hungry too. Way back up in there is too shallow for a pontoon or any vessel that takes more than 1ft. of water to float it.
Oyster bars everywhere. Those hard, sharp shells can slice up your hull and puncture holes too. An outboard motor can take a beating running into oyster bars and sand and rocks.
I haven`t given up flats fishing yet. Last Fri. the 30th I took 2 couples out around the keys and we managed to keep busy with speckled trout at 4 different spots during our 4 hour trip. We caught over 2 dozen fish but only 1 of the trout was large enough to take home and eat. You hear that a lot this time of year, "we caught many but only a few were big enough". Speckled trout have to be at least 15" long and not more than 20" to keep. You can keep 1 that is over the 20" limit and only 5 trout total for each fisherperson. I have a trip Wednesday the 4th and Thursday the 5th so I`ll keep you posted on conditions and fish taken.
Check out the pictures of Mary Fern Waechter and Skip Waechter and myself with a couple of trout we caught. They were from New York and Chesapeake Bay and thought how beautiful and warm the whole fishing experience was. They let me take the largest one home to eat that evening. thanks and stay warm, Capt. Dan | 
