Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Forecast for February 2012
Snook season remains closed this month
Any snook caught must be released. I use tackle that is heavy enough to land them quickly so that they can be released with minimal stress and handling. At night, small white flies fished on intermediate sink tip fly lines, CAL jigs with shad tails and 4” jerk worms will work well for snook around lighted docks and bridge fenders in the ICW. Cast across the current and swing jigs and flies across shadow lines as you retrieve them. Also, fish peak tidal flows for the best action. As long as we don’t have a strong cold front and water temperatures still remain in the 60’s, night snook fishing can be very good in February. However, I avoid catching snook following strong fronts when water temperatures drop sharply. I like fishing the ICW between Sarasota and Venice for snook around docks and bridges this month. The ICW becomes narrow in this area increasing the speed of the current.
Fishing for redfish in February
Look for them in potholes on negative low tides. I focus on seams where grass meets sand by casting CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms beyond the seams and coming back across them. Fly anglers should do well with lightly weighted flies with weed guards on a 12’ leader. You might find reds moving onto shallow grass flats to feed on sunny afternoons. Reds can be very spooky in clear shallow water, so be as quiet as possible and avoid casting over them when fly fishing. I prefer to pole or sometimes wade with fly anglers to avoid spooking fish. The flats of north Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay and Gasparilla Sound are good areas for reds this month.
Trout should also be a good option in February
Look for big trout in skinny water in the same areas that you find reds. They may be concentrated in potholes when the tide is low or on shallow grass flats on sunny afternoons. You may also find them on deeper grass flats along with pompano, bluefish, spanish mackerel and flounder. I like to drift deep grass flats and cast ahead of my drift with CAL jigs and a variety of CAL plastic tails or DOA Deadly Combos. I like 1/16-ounce CAL jigs with shad, grub or jerk worms in potholes or on shallow grass. Fly anglers should do well with weighted flies fished on sink tip fly lines. Deep grass flats with a strong tidal flow and a good mixture of grass and sand, like Sarasota Bay’s Middleground, Radio Tower and Marina Jack flats, should be good areas for trout this month.
Fishing for Pompano in February
Pompano may skip on the surface giving their presence away. When this happens I will start a drift a hundred yards or so upwind and cast the same CAL jigs and flies that I’m using for trout ahead of my drift. I like chartreuse, pink and gold for pompano. The sound of a DOA Deadly Combo or a fly popper may attract blues and spanish mackerel. Fish a CAL jig slow and close to the bottom for flounder.
Finding sheepshead in February
You might find sheepshead around docks, bridges or structure this month. You might also find reds, snook and flounder in the same areas. Deep docks with lots of barnacles or oysters and a good tidal flow should be the best. A live shrimp with a split shot to get it down in the current, or shrimp-tipped jigs will work for sheepshead. You may be able to sight fish them around oyster bars on clear shallow flats with jigs and flies, although they can be challenging. Since sheepshead feed with their nose, tipping jigs with small pieces of fresh shrimp can sometimes make the difference.
How water temperatures in the gulf affect fishing in February
If the water temperature in the coastal gulf is in the low 60’s or cooler, there may not be much happening. However, as water temperatures rise to the high 60’s, spanish and king mackerel, cobia and tripletail may start to show up in our area, particularly towards the end of the month. Look for baitfish schools, diving birds or surface activity to find mackerel. Cobia and tripletail may be hanging around buoys, crab trap floats or channel markers. You might also find silver trout in the coastal gulf where they can be caught by bouncing CAL jigs on the bottom.
February can be one of the tougher months to fish due to cool water and frequent fronts. However, if you can choose when to fish, your odds of being successful increase. When fronts are approaching, the barometer will be falling and fish should feed. Following fronts, afternoons may fish better for a few days. There will be windows of good weather between fronts, which should be productive. When it's warm for a few days, check the coastal gulf for spanish and king mackerel, cobia and tripletail. Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!
Look for reds in shallow water on sunny afternoons this month. Sarasota winter resident, Harry Beaty, caught this one on a CAL jig with a shad tail on Little Sarasota Bay sand bar last February while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
