- April 25, 2024
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Let me start by wishing everyone a safe and happy new year.
Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get out and use all those new fishing toys you got as gifts. While you’re at it, make a New Year’s resolution to fish more.
If you have young ones, get them to put away the video games and get them involved with fishing. What a great way to spend quality time with them. Start them young, and you may just end up with a lifelong fishing buddy.
The fishing the last two weeks has been the best I have seen it in quite some time. Trout — and good-sized ones, at that — are everywhere. They are eating Berkley Gulps or DOA paddle tails fished on 1/8-ounce or 1/4-ounce jig heads. Most of the fish are in deeper water and want the baits presented at a slow retrieve.
When fly fishing, I use an intermediate fly line to get my fly down deep and also use a slow retrieve. I’ve had great luck with a new white fly pattern that I’ve been tying. The trout have been eating it like candy. I retired the first one I tied the other day after it had been beaten up by about 50 fish. I gave one of the white flies to my buddy Steve Carl when we were fly fishing the other day, and he had great success with it, too. He also landed a 21-inch trout on it. We also caught bluefish and redfish. The fly was aptly named the “RCO Special,” after the person who designed it — me.
The redfish bite has really taken off in the last two weeks, also. That little cold snap we had has pushed them up onto the flats where you can find some big schools. Once they are found, you can feed them Gulps fished on a jig head or a weighted wide gap worm-style hook. Gold spoons are also a great way of locating reds. When the reds are found, don’t be surprised if you also connect with some flounder.
For those of you who don’t have boats, fishing along Highbridge Road, in Northern Flagler County, can produce good redfish and flounder action this time of year. I would suggest using a 1/8-ounce jig head with a Gulp or the same size black bucktail jig. The lighter weight seems to hang up less and is easier to get out of the oysters.
Take advantage of bluebird days and get out and fish.
