Dear Frank,

I have read your articles since I was a little kid and all your books and I use most of the tips on fishing that you give out and have always found it to work out great. My dad has been living on the water in Punta Gorda for about 2 years now and I try to get down there as much as I can to fish I and I do quite well in the fall spring and summer but I have yet to do very good in the winter time there. If you know the area called Hobs Point or the old ice house that burned down, that is the area I do most of my fishing. This is also close to Burnt Store Marina. Do you have any winter tips for fishing this area, what to use and how to fish it? And I would really like to know how to fish the cobia at this time. Thanks for your time, any tips from you on this would be great. Joel Belcher

Joel: I think cobia will be a tough nut to crack right now, unless a few might make their way into the powerplant outflow at Tice.
However, I’d bet there are plenty of snook in the Burnt Store canals this winter, and other canals on that side, and down around Matlacha, too. Just fish a large live shrimp, unweighted, around the docks. Cast it right in next to the pilings and let it drift. You may catch some nice snapper this way, too, and also some reds and trout. FS