Making the Most of a Mild Winter

( Photo by David A. Brown)

By CAPT. BILL MILLER
I’m confused. I’m looking for fish in their normal winter hangouts and they are not there. I’m guessing the fish are also confused because it's supposed to be winter, yet it feels like spring. When mild winters disrupt normal patterns, the fish must wonder if they should go to their winter spots, their spring spots or something in between.

In this scenario, I start in the winter spots and work backward to the spring spots. When we have cold fronts and the water temperature drops, the winter spots are more successful. But when it is warm for a week or two, the spring spots will be very active. Fish probably will be moving back and forth, rather than locking into winter hibernation.

Capt. Billy Miller and I are seeing that when the water temperature is warm, the speckled trout will be over the grass flats and feeding actively as the day warms up. When the temperature drops for a few days, the trout will move off into the channels and potholes.

Spanish mackerel are not normally caught here in the winter, but plenty have been caught during this traditionally cold period. In January, I caught some while trolling off Redington Beach and Spanish catches have also been reported in Old Tampa Bay.

Kingfish should still be in South Florida, but January saw catches in the Egmont Channel and offshore of the Bay Area. Likewise, snook should be huddled back in deep canals or river spots, but they've recently been seen and caught on the flats.

Pompano are still very actively feeding along the South shore of Tampa Bay and in the passes up and down the gulf coast. In mid-January, I saw a tarpon at the South Skyway fishing pier and I’ll bet if you went to the Howard Frankland or Gandy bridges at night, you would see plenty of tarpon under the lights.

So, what do we make of these unseasonable happenings? Well, this mild winter might hasten the spawning of some fish, which could be good or bad. Migrations will likely be slowed and disrupted. Again, I’m not sure if it is good or bad.

The good news is this is not the first mild winter we have had and the fishery always adapts and remains vibrant. As anglers, we have to be flexible and adapt as the seasonal changes no matter how different or erratic they may be.

Will this mild winter become the new normal? Who knows? What controls El Nino or La Nina? Where does global warming play into this, or does it? 

These are all questions I can not answer so all I can do is pay attention to the weather patterns and try to figure out the associated fish patterns. Pay attention to how your local fish adapt to changing weather and you might discover a productive new pattern to enjoy.

For fishing videos, catch photos and lots of angling resources, visit www.fishingwithbillmiller.com. For fishing charters in the Tampa Bay area, call (813) 363-9927.