South Florida Gets a Blast of Cold Weather

Report Date: January 6, 2010

South Florida continues to go through some chilling changes and not everyone or everything is responding well to the changes. Temperatures have been averaging from the mid fifties to the low sixties for the past week and a half and water temperatures have dropped as low as 50 degrees in some areas. As I write this report another major cold front is on its way. This front may prove to be the coldest in many years and how our wildlife and fish adapt to the sudden drops in water temperatures is yet to be seen. As of yesterday I received some reports of fish kills from the cold. This happens when unsuspecting fish get caught in waters that offer no escape to deeper warmer water and lose their ability to flee quickly enough and become stunned by the cold and die.

Because of these factors I as a guide will adjust my fishing destinations to take advantage of the fish that can handle the colder temperatures.

My charter yesterday was scheduled to be a
n inshore charter in North Biscayne Bay. After seeing water temperatures in the low 60’s I knew we would be challenged in the north part of the Bay. A good sized school of bait had been holding in a channel on the north side of the Bay so that’s where we headed. Once the bait was located I threw my 10 foot West Coast cast net over the school and came up with five types of bait all from the same school. Pilchards, threadfin herring and Spanish sardines and pinfish all pretty healthy but the mojarras where swimming in circles a clear sign that they were feeling the effects of the cold water. We added those baits to the live shrimp I had bought earlier. We fished the area around the baitfish schools and a grass flat that often produces large trout during cold weather but had 0 bites. Time to change game plans. We had two choices. 1. run south to deeper water or the Finger Channels or 2. since we had light winds try our luck offshore. Since we were on a half day charter and had left at 10 AM to give the water a chance to warm up our best bet was to make the shorter run to the offshore waters. Once offshore we had temperatures in the mid 70’s a better temperature for better fishing. Working an area in 100 feet of water with inshore outfits loaded with 10 pound Mustad Ultra Thor line and Mustad 2/0 long shank hooks we baited up with live Spanish sardines and pilchards and had strike after strike but the anglers kept missing the fish. We kept at it and finally hooked up and landed two king mackerel between eight and ten pounds. It was late so we headed in with plenty of kingfish fillets and steaks for everyone.

Had we stayed in the bay there was a good chance that we would have been skunked. I talked to a bonefish guide later in the day that had no bites and only saw dead fish on his charter.

Until water temperatures get back to normal I will bypass some areas of North Biscayne Bay to fish other areas where the fish will school up during these colder days. Fishing the southern part of North Biscayne Bay and the Finger Channels and Flamingo where inshore migratory species are more likely to be found and in a feeding mood.

A few years ago in January we had been experiencing very cold temperatures and on this day we fished the channels in and around Joe Kemp Channel in Flamingo in Everglades National Park. Due to the cold weather a huge school of sea trout had moved into the channels and catching over 100 sea trout on live shrimp fished under a Cajun Thunder or plastic baits fished on a Hookup lure resulted in strike after strike. The cold temperatures had pushed all of the fish in nearby waters to move into the channels that had strong tidal flows making them easy targets.

The cold water temperatures affect all marine species so here is an example of what to expect from most of the marine species in South Florida during the coldest parts of the year.

Residential fish like sea trout, jack crevalles, ladyfish, snappers, redfish, sharks, and a few other species prefer water temperatures above 70 degrees and when water temperatures drop below 60 degrees these fish will move to the closest deeper water or areas that have a good tidal flow that creates heat until water temperatures have a chance to warm up. All of these fish will continue to feed but instead of being aggressive these fish will tend to eat smaller baits that are fished close to the bottom.

Fish like the snook and tarpon like water temperatures in the upper 70’s or higher and flee for warmer temperatures and will feed very little until water temperatures rise to their liking. Snook will move way inland to deep water canals where during the midday sun can often be seen sunning themselves on the surface where they are easy targets from people that will snag them which is illegal!

Tarpon head offshore or lay on the bottom where water temperatures hold the heat better.

Fish like the black drum, sheepshead and groupers move into the creeks and rivers where strong tidal flows and deeper water offer a nice water temperature to make them feel comfortable.

Migratory fish like the mackerels, bluefish, cobia and pompano head to South Florida in the Fall and stay right into early Spring to take advantage of cooler water temperatures that they prefer and these fish become the main focus due to the fact that they are the most comfortable to the colder water temperatures.

Moral to this story is not let the cold weather scare you off the water but fish the fish that can tolerate the conditions in the areas that they should be and dress for the occasion!

Check out my report in the Miami Herald's Sports section under Fishing Updates each Thursday, the Florida Sportsman Magazines South Florida Internet Fishing Report

www.floridaspotsman.com), my monthly Action Spotter Fishing Report for the South Region in the Florida Sportsman Magazine each month.

I have recently been wearing a lot of Columbia Sports Wear on my fishing charters and the new Blood & Guts shirts are amazing. I have had mackerel, cobia and snook just splatter me with blood and one good washing and the shirts are as good as new. Check out their web site at www.columbia.com

Sponsors: Yamaha, Bob Hewes Boats, Maverick, Minn Kota, Lowrance Electronics, Daiwa, General Motors & Chevrolet, Rapala, Mustad, Ande Lines, Pure Fishing, Gulp, Berkley, Precision Tackle, Cajun Thunders, Capt. Hank Brown's Hook Up Lures, Hydro Glow Lights, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Saltwater Assassins, Key Largo Rods, Lee Fisher Cast Nets, Smartshield, Master Repair in Stuart Florida, Power Pole, Stow Master Nets, superfishlight.com, Columbia Wear, Tempress Seating

Capt. Alan Sherman
"Get Em" Sportfishing Charters
www.getemsportfishing.com. /> shermana@bellsouth.net
786-436-2064
Field Editor of the Florida Sportsman Magazines Action Spotter Report South Region
Field Editor of the Florida Sportsman Magazines Internet Fishing Forecast South Region
Editor of the Miami Heralds South Florida Fishing Report Thursdays Edition

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