Is It Winter Yet?

Friday November 30th. The calendar says it`s winter but the weather around Cedar Key said it was warm and clear. It sure was a beautiful day fishing. The winter `lows` are here now-a-days and low tide is really low.

When we started it was a very low tide. I fished the edges of channels and over the `flats` but the Trout never really caught on. I don`t think the water had risen high enough yet for the Trout.

About halfway thru our 4 hour trip I moved over to North Key and an inlet there with oysters on both sides and anchored up. We caught several Redfish under the 18" legal limit and released them after pictures. Among the fish there we caught 2 Flounder of legal size. In the cooler they went. 1 was 16in. and the other 14in. Legal minimum is 12in.

Fresh Flounder is one of the best tasting fish I have ever eaten.

On the other side of the key is another oyster bar area and I stopped us there. As soon and Jackie flipped out her line with a large shrimp on the hook the float disappeared. Line was singing off her reel and we knew a Redfish was on the end. It zipped and flipped around and we moved all over back and forth and finally I was able to net it up and over the side. In the picture below is Jackie Blysma with a 21in. Red just before we slipped it into the cooler with our catch.

It seems to me that Redfish have finally made their way into the Cedar Key area in good numbers. The water temperature is not as low as previous years and they have not had to `go up the creeks` yet. As long as we have this warm weather the Redfish will `patrol` the oyster bars and you may be able to fool 1 with a bait placed right at the edge of oysters and sand. Perhaps a plump Flounder. I ended up cleaning Trout and Flounder and Redfish. What a great dinner those will make for the 3 fishing folks.

Come fish with me on a beautiful winter day and I`ll fillet `em all. Call me at 352-221-5463 and we`ll get to it. Check out my website, inshorefloridafishing.com. thanks, Capt. Dan