FEB. 10.06 FISHING

         WELL STILL COLD, FIFTY DEGREE MORNINGS, OVER CAST SKY'S, MAKES YOU WANT TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE WEATHER MAN. BEEN A STRANGE WEATHER WEEK WITH WIND CHANGING DIRECTION EVERY TIME I LOOK OUT THE WINDOW.  WEST WIND BLOWS THE SURF FLAT AND THE TURBITY FALLS OUT.  BUT IT MEANS COOLER OCEAN TEMPS,  THEN IT TURNS EAST BRINGING IN THE WARM WATER ALONG WITH A FEW SWELLS THAT MIX UP THE EDGE. BUT IS IS STILL SOUTH FLORIDA, NO SHOVELING, NO FROST TO SCRAP AND YES I CAN FISH.

         OFF SHORE THE COBIA BITE TAKES OFF, SIXTY FEET JUST NORTH OF THE INLET ANGLERS REPORT GROUPS PASSING THE BOATS. THE ANGLERS THAT ARE CATCHING ARE BOTTOM FISHING, SNAPPER AND GROUPER ANGLERS, ANCHORED WITH BAITS DOWN. WITH THE BOAT ANCHORED, IT BECOMES THE FLOTSAM, THE FISH WILL COME TO IT. THEIR METHOD WAS TO CAST A BAIT OUT AND PUT THE ROD IN A HOLDER, WHEN THEY WOULD CAST TO THE FISH THEY WOULD TURN. FIFTY POUNDS AND THIRTY FIVE POUNDS FROM ONE BOAT AND TWO TWENTIES FROM ANOTHER THEIR METHOD WORKED. THE ONE ANGLER SAID THEY CUT THREE OFF TILL THEY SAW THE SMALLER ONES THEY WANTED, NOW THAT'S A PROBLEM WE ALL SHOULD HAVE. WITH WIND CHANGING DIRECTIONS PAY ATTENTION TO THE TEMP LINES AND SPEND YOUR TIME ON THE WARM SIDE. NOT MANY ANGLERS THIS WEEK BUT STILL A GOOD CATCH LIST, DOLPHIN IN 120', SAILS STARTED IN 80', COBIA IN 60' AND KINGS FROM 40' ADD TO THAT GRAY GROUPER AND IT MAKES A GOOD CATCH LIST.

         SURF CASTERS HAD ANOTHER IN AND OUT WEEK WITH POMPANO, TURBITY DOWN THE FISH WERE IN AND THEN THE WIND CHANGED AND UP CAME THE TURBITY, FISH WERE OUT. STILL NO PATTERN TO THE POMPS, SORRY. NOW THE WHITING AND THE BLUES THAT HAS BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY. BLUES IN GOOD NUMBERS FOR THE EARLY ANGLER ON BOTH SPOONS AND CUT BAITS. THE WHITING FROM MID MORNING TILL LATE AFTERNOON, AS SOON AS THE EDGE WARMED THE WHITING CAME IN AND BLUES MOVED OUT.

         IN THE RIVER NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED, TROUT IN 3', REDS EARLY JUST BE FORE SUN UP AND SNOOK AT THE BRIDGES ALONG WITH LIMITS OF POMPANO. SCHOOL SIZE TROUT IN GOOD NUMBERS, LOOK IN THE 3 TO 5 FEET OF WATER. SHRIMP OR YOUR FAVORED SOFT RUBBER BAITS HAVE CAUGHT A LOT OF FISH THIS WEEK, BEST PART IS JUST ABOUT ANY TIME AS LONG AS THE WATER IS MOVING. RED FISH BITE IN THE WALTON TO MIDWAY ROAD SHORE LINE HAS BEEN GOOD BUT THE BITE TIME IS VERY NARROW, YOU NEED TO BE THERE BEFORE SUN UP, TOP WATER AND SMALL JIGS TOP THE LIST. POMPANO AT THE BRIDGES USING JIGGING SPOONS. IN COMING WATER SEEMS TO BE THE KEY AND EVERY BODY IS THERE EARLY, I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THE AFTERNOON INCOMING, NEVER CAUGHT A FISH WITH A WATCH ON. COUPLE OF BOATERS DID REAL WELL AT THE CHANNEL MARKER SOUTH OF THE STUART CAUSWAY;YES IT WAS AN INCOMING TIDE. SNOOK BITE HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD WITH SOME REAL SNOOK, FISH WELL OVER THE SLOT HANGING UNDER THE JENSEN BRIDGE. ALL WEEK IT HAS BEEN FISH ON STRUCTURE, LIVE BAITS AND FLAIR HAWKS TOP THE LIST BUT WE HAVE HAD LOTS OF REPORTS OF SLOT FISH FROM MANY LOCATIONS. ALL THE USUAL SUSPECTS HAVE MADE A GOOD SHOW THIS WEEK WITH BIG BLUES AND SPANISH MAC'S HANGING AT THE BRIDGES AND IN THE CHANNEL. DRUM, SHEEPHEAD, JACKS AND THE BIGGEST LADY FISH YOU HAVE EVER SEEN HAVE KEPT ANGLERS ALL BUSY.

        TILL NEXT WEEK SLOW YOUR BAIT DOWN, COLD WATER SLOWS THEM ALL DOWN INCLUDING ME. PAY ATTENTION THE FISH WILL PICK THE BAIT NOT STRIKE THE BAIT AS THEY DO WHEN THE WATER IS WARM, WHEN THE LINE MOVES IT IS YOUR TURN......HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND I AM WORKING ON THE WEATHER MAN..............................................