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Warm spotted sea trout opener draws a crowd

Posted Jan 3, 2012 by The Tampa Tribune

Updated Jan 3, 2012 at 06:07 PM

BY RAY MARKHAM

New Year’s Day on the water is not usually a busy one, but with weather that even the Chamber of Commerce would be impressed by on tap, the waterways were heavily traveled. For sure, the perfect weather was a good reason, especially with water temperatures near 70 degrees and air temps well above that. Fish were biting and anglers dressed in shorts at T-shirts were all smiles.

Sunday’s season opener for spotted sea trout in the South Region was a busy one, and reports up and down the coast were of good catches of some nice fish. New DOA Deadly Tandem rigs were taking doubles where schooling trout were found. Speckled trout to 20 inches were caught by many folks looking for a few fish to take home, but most opted for smaller trout in the 16- to 18-inch range that are usually preferred for the fryer.

Trout weren’t the only rod-benders this past weekend. Bluefish, pompano, redfish, flounder, black sea bass, and even some Spanish mackerel showed up near the Sunshine Skyway on the Manatee County side, and they were caught on jigs and spoons.

While that past couple of weeks were a real treat with excellent weather, this is a new year, and it appears that winter has finally arrived. A strong cold front that blew in Monday night will bring freezing temps to the north of us. But this is Florida. This should drop water temperatures at least 10 degrees inshore, slowing the bite. Look for moderating weather by Friday to bring us back into the 70s. A few warm days again should put us right back on track for some more action from trout.

Ray Markham co-hosts “Florida Sportsman Magazine Radio Live,” Saturdays from 7-8 a.m. on 1040 AM, and may be reached for charter at (941) 723-2655.