- Spencer Goodwin

Strong north winds and negative low tides will provide kayak anglers with great opportunities for fish catching this winter. With each passing cool front, we will see high pressure and a strong northerly wind following it. These north winds will actually push water out of the bay, creating lower than predicted tides. These low tides and cold temperatures will force fish off the shallow flats and into deeper potholes, troughs and depressions on the flats.

Many times, tides will be so low that motorboats will not be able to reach these trapped fish. This creates a scenario where kayaks have a great advantage to other types of watercraft. Navigating over inches of water and sometimes-even dry land can be the ticket to finding holed up fish. With much of the flats left dry, there is far less water for fish to hide in, making it much easier for anglers to locate them. Find the right hole, and it can be like shooting fish in a barrel!

Soft plastics will prove to be the most effective lures for targeting these cold-water fish. Use 1/4 oz jigheads to keep your bait near the bottom and slowly bounce the bait back towards you. With the majority of baitfish gone from the flats, inshore species will primarily be feeding on crustaceans. Keeping that in mind, remember to ‘match the hatch’ and use colors to mimic their forage. Colors like golden bream, clear with glitter, and new penny are all good bets. My go to bait is the Lil John made by MirrOlure. They are a 3 .” plastic tail with embedded scent that imitates a small shrimp well.

Waders will be a handy piece of equipment for the cold-water kayak fishermen. Fishing from your kayak in windy conditions can prove to be very difficult at times, making wading a great option to better control your positioning so as to not drift into the holes or depressions you want to fish. On exceptionally windy days, anglers can still find protection by launching from shorelines lee of the wind. Planning carefully to accommodate the strong winds will be necessary, but can yield exceptional results.

Low tides provide kayakers with ideal conditions to take full advantage of using a paddle craft. While expensive skiffs and bay boats are left at the dock, kayak anglers will be busy catching fish. The weather might be cold, but the fishing is still hot!

Spencer Goodwin
(727) 742-4736
www.TampaBayKayakCharters.com
Tampabaykayakcharters@gmail.com