Fishing In The Northeast Florida Region During Winter
Wahoo is the main target fish in December for this part of the Atlantic, but you’re likely to catch more than just wahoo on your fishing trip, even with the recent weather fluctuations affecting tournaments and charters. Sheepshead are another prized fish for those casting off a charter and Sheepshead can be delectable when properly cooked and prepared – fresh, of course.
If you’re looking to land a Wahoo or Sheepshead in spite of the weather, you may still be in luck. Our Offshore Fishing Room has tackle, lures, rods, reels, line to facilitate your trolling session offshore. For frozen bait, look for frozen mullet. Fiddler crabs can also make for live bait in a pinch if you can find them. Walk through any of the creeks and wetlands near the intercoastal and off Anastasia Island or Crescent Beach and you will find these critters scampering around the shoreline en masse.
While deep sea fishing is most popular during this season, that doesn’t mean that you won’t catch anything worth its weight nearshore, inshore, or off the coast – even those fishing off the Vilano Beach pier can expect to pull Redfish and Bluefish, which are in excellent supply this time of year.
If you’re looking for real time information on what is biting off the coast and offshore, click here and bookmark this page for continuous real time updates on target fish of the season and weather.
Florida Sportsman Recommendations
Image Credit / Florida Sportsman, Captain Roger Bump
Florida Sportsman writer and avid angler, Captain Roger Bump, frequently discusses seasonal fishing and local fishing tactics, weather, insights, and locations – even stopping by to interview locals and the staff of St. Augustine Marina back in May.
His forecast for the season focuses on the weather patterns that have ultimately caused some issues for those that have booked charters in hopes to land their own biggest catch of the season. Even tournament participants have been affected by the cooler waters and choppy surface waves.
He advises those in search of Wahoo and Sheepshead to look for charters that focus on the areas where the warmer waters of the Gulf meet the cooler waters of the Atlantic, near wrecks and inlets where they can be found grouped together.
If you want to land one of these energetic species, you will need stamina and to perservere through thrashing and jumps. Make sure you arrive to your charter or go out on your own watercraft prepared for the day. St. Augustine Marina staff are knowledgable and are happy to help match you with the perfect rig while also rigging and setting up your fishing kit in store.
If you haven’t gone offshore before, stick around and don’t hesitate to ask questions. For those of you experienced fishing offshore or that have been out on many charters, we perform rigging, lure repair, and rod and reel repair services in store so that you can get back on the water as quickly as possible.
Not only that, but our winter sales are in full swing with discounted items across all departments. If you aren’t sure what to grab, gift certificates are always available in every denomination.