# Inshore winter fishing guidance.



## Fishmarket (Aug 8, 2012)

I typically offshore fish and plan to start more inshore fishing. Most of my inshore experience I fished the grass flats in the summer. During the winter I fished the river mouths a few times, but never the bay or sound. Do the specks and smaller reds stack up in deep holes? Not looking for specific spots, just general type areas to target?


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

My favorite place to fish in the winter inshore are the bridges, lots of redfish, sheepshead and black drum waiting for an easy meal when the tide goes out.


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer (Oct 13, 2011)

During the winter, redfish will act like bass. That means fish brush, shoreline, docks, any place a bass would hide. You can also use the same lures as bass, spinnerbaits, rattle traps, crank baits, spoons, stuff of that nature. I find reds are 10x easier in the winter than during the summer. Specs will stack up on drop offs and deep holes in the rivers.


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## Rhenium (Sep 27, 2012)

So should I be using weedless or a Doa shrimp? I have a fish finder and its showing me fish in much deeper water. Now Im new to having a fish finder. But Ive had it say there were over 30 or more fish but for some reason I cast and catch nothing. Ive used the plastic shiner minnow, weedless spoon, DOA shrimp on popping cork. Nothing except one redfish too small to keep. Anyone got any ideas? Maybe I need to work on my retrieve technique. With the minnows I toss them out using a jighead let them sink to the bottom then jerk let it die reel in a bit and do that over and over as to mimic a dying minnow. The popping cork and DOA shrimp same as anyone would. Now I have yet to try live bait so Im gonna give that a shot next time out.


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer (Oct 13, 2011)

We usually slow troll gulp shrimp on the bottom through the holes, that or live shrimp work best.


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## blue75966 (Sep 9, 2011)

any of you guys know where a good winter spot for bank fishing? at 3 mile the homeless peeps bug me so i stop going there and driving all the way to narrare starting to cost alot


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## Tyler Massey (Oct 2, 2007)

You can catch Trout in just about any canal or bayou. Use live shrimp or gulp and fish them very slow.


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## Flatspro (Oct 3, 2007)

Tyler Massey said:


> You can catch Trout in just about any canal or bayou. Use live shrimp or gulp and fish them very slow.


What he said!! Tyler was dead on fish slow!


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## Thom (May 4, 2012)

I'll be down there along 30A near Santa Rosa Beach over Thanksgiving with my kids and a canoe. Any suggestions for places to try?


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## BVBHAWKS (Jan 28, 2011)

Tyler Massey said:


> You can catch Trout in just about any canal or bayou. Use live shrimp or gulp and fish them very slow.


Will trout hold in the canals all winter on the south side of Santa Rosa Sound?

I thought they moved to the bays and near the rivers?


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## Capt. John Rivers (Jul 28, 2012)

BVBHAWKS said:


> Will trout hold in the canals all winter on the south side of Santa Rosa Sound?
> 
> I thought they moved to the bays and near the rivers?


Some trout will hold in the canals all winter if the canals have deep holes, but the majority of them will migrate way up in Escambia & Blackwater Bay and in the Rivers that come off these bays. The trout will go as far up river as they can till the water gets to fresh and they'll stop.

In the middle of winter ( Jan -Feb), find deep holes 14-20 ft and work soft-plastics slow or even use a drop-shot rigm, I've even used small crank baits that are used for bass and caught many a tout in the rivers in Jan - Feb. If we have a mild winter like we did last year the trout won't be as deep and not as many will have migrated up river.
Hope this helps.
Good luck 
Tight Lines.. John


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## BVBHAWKS (Jan 28, 2011)

Capt. John Rivers said:


> Some trout will hold in the canals all winter if the canals have deep holes, but the majority of them will migrate way up in Escambia & Blackwater Bay and in the Rivers that come off these bays. The trout will go as far up river as they can till the water gets to fresh and they'll stop.
> 
> In the middle of winter ( Jan -Feb), find deep holes 14-20 ft and work soft-plastics slow or even use a drop-shot rigm, I've even used small crank baits that are used for bass and caught many a tout in the rivers in Jan - Feb. If we have a mild winter like we did last year the trout won't be as deep and not as many will have migrated up river.
> Hope this helps.
> ...


That makes sense to me !! 

Thanks


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## Thom (May 4, 2012)

Any advice for East Choctawhatchee Bay or West Bay near Rivercamps? I'll be in a canoe with a trolling motor during Thanksgiving. I'll have an 11 year old with me who's way more interested in "catching" than "fishing". We actively participate in catch-and-release, so any we catch will go back in good shape.

I have used my canoe set up in both places before, but focused on the flats and river mouths. Did a little (very little) exploring up the Choctawhatchee River, but don't have a depth finder to identify holes.

Thanks for all your help!


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