February 2005 Forecast - Jan 15, 2005

The month of February has always been a fishing mystery here in the Apalachicola area. The first challenge is what to wear. The day might dawn with temperatures hovering just above freezing but by mid-afternoon it could be 75 degrees. The next thing is the heartbreak of having to release every spotted seatrout you catch, and you could catch quite a few, because the season is closed for the entire month. Good thing it's a short month. (There ARE other varieties of trout that you CAN keep) If the weather stays warm for an extended period, you may experience an early influx of Spanish mackerel. Cooler weather will mean a later arrival of the migrating schools of fish. Resident redfish have been seen in February in schools of up to 200 fish and we have had anglers who caught 20 to 30 redfish in a day and up to 9 or 10 lbs on flies, artificial lures and bait. The trick here is to know where these schools are under what conditions because guess what? They swim around to different spots and aren't necessarily where you found them yesterday. Black drum and sheepshead are commonly caught this time of year as well. Bass fishermen tend to like to brave our winter conditions. Stripers, hybrids and black bass are all available prey in the fresh & brackish water of the Apalachicola River basin. I believe that they are still tagging striped bass, so if you catch one wearing a tag be sure to report it.

Tommy & Chris are fishing for permit & bonefish out of Key West the month of February and if you're reading this early in the month, they may still have some available dates. If they are not booked to fish with clients, they WILL be scuba diving and spearfishing. Our other Flats, Bay and Offshore guides will be here sitting on go.

MARCH FORECAST - Time to stock up on your Nylures and break out the sand flea rake. Be on the lookout for Pompano about mid-month and keep an eye on the water temperature - the magic number is 68-72 degrees. There will be a ladies Bass Fishing Tournament fishing north of here out of White City the weekend of March 11th - I'm hoping to be able to report their results. Tommy & Chris are in the Everglades.


Back to Fishing Reports List