02/22/18 Fishing Report

With each day the area begins to feel a bit warmer and warmer.  We are having some south winds blow warm air into the area and the hint of Springtime is in the air.  I'm not saying Old Man Winter is done with us yet, but hope is out there. 

The fishing has been great ranging from either high or low tides.  The past week we have had some negative low tides which closes a bit more of the marsh off and makes for some spooky fish, but as a little bit of water comes back in, they feel more protected and become more active.  The area has had some strong winds lately as well, so tucking away behind tree lines, dunes or finding a creek for protection has been the plan of attack.  

For the selection of flies, we have been using mostly dark colors, black and purple or black and gold with some flash.  This color choice is because we have had some stirred up mud and the darker colors make for a great silhouette for the fish to see.  When the water has cleared up, we are using natural colors such as tans and browns with hints of olive, or chartreuse and purple if we are feeling like throwing a curve ball.  Slider patterns in these colors, EP minnows, clousers and deceivers have been working best, slow strips along the bottom and then just wait, you'll see the fish turn and eat and then lay the hammer down!  

As far as light tackle is concerned, similar color schemes in jerk shad, paddle tails or even the Z-Man Razor Shad - Bad Shad have been phenomenal lately.  For a jig head, keep it weedless this time of year.  I really enjoy the Z-Man EZ Keeperz for quick changes on soft plastics or a weedless Gamakatsu rigged through the bait for consistent action.  Don't forget a small squirt of Pro-Cure to make your rig even more enticing to the fish! 

We are still doing our best to keep a little distance from the fish as to not spook them, so longer and more accurate casts have been helpful.  More and more boat traffic is beginning to come out so it's nice to catch a couple fish from a group and then find some more so that those fish aren't over pressured.  Once they feel that enough is enough, they'll leave and who knows where they'll go from there.