You Gotta Love February Sea Trout Fishing

You gotta love February Sea Trout fishing in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. 

When I got home this past weekend, Karen and I took the dogs for a spin around Peacocks Pocket Road to see if anything was in the area.

It was just prior to the cold front and although the air temperature was dropping, it was a pleasant day for fishing in the salt marsh.

We loaded Elmo and Odie into the truck and as an afterthought I brought along a couple of spinning rods, just in case.

The grass along the road was mowed and although we saw several groups of bank fishermen trying their luck, the ones we spoke with didn't seem to be having much luck.

Almost everyone was using shrimp or cut baits, but catfish and rays seemed to be the only catch.

As we slowly drove along Peacocks Pocket Road, I spotted several large redfish cruising the marsh canals moving from pond to pond.  I tried a couple of casts with a topwater bait and had a follow up by one oversize red but other than that, I never had a bite.

The water was flat with little to no wind on the marsh side of the road and the water level was still quite high.  Perfect conditions for marauding sea trout in the shallows.

I spotted several large sea trout that were just within casting range, but I didn't bother trying to cast to them.  Instead, I made a mental note to try the area after the front moved past the area.

We spotted some early spoonbills wading in the area, and there were several people enjoying the waterfowl around the road as we drove to the boat launch.

As we drove past the Ferris wheel and other rides at the fair, it was evident that the cold front was already here.  The windows were down and it was downright chilly.

When we got to the house, I checked my emails and got this fishing report from a fishing buddy of mine who also travels a lot.

Craig and Mary sent me these pics of the fish they caught these past weeks in the Mosquito Lagoon during cold weather conditions.  As ;you can see, the sea trout are quality fish.

Jan. 16th. 

" I had a jerk bait and Mary had a Kietech. Her 2nd cast she hammers a 26” trout. 2^nd cast!

            

She stuck with the Kietech and caught a 24” trout and 23” red.

           

I caught a few small reds and trout but that’s it.   Just shakers."

Jan.31st.

"We go back to the same area. Mary had shown her 26” trout pictures off to a girlfriend of hers.

Maggie has her nephew down from Connecticut for the weekend so she rents a 2 seater kayak in mims and joins us for the day.

As Maggie and Cody were new to this stuff we picked up a couple dozen shrimp.

The weather was cooler than our previous trip.   Fish were very inactive.

I had Cody with me and got him hooked up with a nice slot Red.

We kept after it and I got a bite that knocked slack in my line but didn’t stick.

Meanwhile out on the point Mary and Maggie were drifting shrimp.

I hear Mary calling for the net.   We paddled over and she has a 8# 27 inch Gator Trout.

            

A short time later she hooks a second one but it bites off the 15# leader.

I had a nice outing paddling the canoe about but I sure didn’t catch any fish."

Feb. 6th.

"Fished the same place.  Again the temps are low. We take out time getting over to the coast so the temps can rise a bit.

            

We know it’s gonna rain in the afternoon. We get to the launch about 09:00 after picking up a couple dozen shrimp.

            

Were thinking the bait bite’s gonna be the deal. Again we fish our way in. Soaking some nice big shrimp under popping corks.

            

We go a couple hours without a bite.

            

We end up in one of our favorite spots that almost always produce. Nothing on Shrimp!

            

I’m getting squirley by this time so I start rigging up a second rod with a weedless swim bait.   I tie on a 5” Bitters swimmer in Phantom.  Then I added a 2^nd bait behind that on a whim.   A 4” Strike King caffiene shad in Pearl White.

 

Mary was laughing at me.  On the 2^nd cast in the spot where we were popping shrimp, BAM! 24” trout eats the trailer! Awesome!!!

            

I love it when a plan comes together. We fished another hour until the wind picked up and the rains came.

            

We got a couple more small trout on the shrimp and short Red on the Phantom.

            

It was a cold wet paddle back into the wind to get out. But after taking a beating the 2 previous trips I was happy to finally lad a keeper.

           

And you know the ball game on Sunday was pretty good too!"

I always appreciate information about the fishing conditions in our area, and will always withhold where the fish are caught unless requested otherwise.

Thanks Craig and Mary!

Hope to get out Sunday afternoon if the weather permits.

Till next time, Tight Lines.