While most people head to the beaches in summer, winter is a better time for avid anglers to visit many coastal areas in the Southeast.

Most of the redfish, sea trout, sheepshead and other inshore species that are found in the large open bays in warm weather go up to coastal rivers during the big chills of winter.

The great thing about this is that many of the areas where these winter fish congregate are well-known to locals, and so finding the fish is simply a matter of going to the fleet of boats anchored or floating over them. And while fishing close to others is frowned on when the fish are on the open flats, it’s pretty much expected when the fish are in the rivers—give other anglers the length of a couple of casts and you’ll rarely get any dirty looks—or worse, a cast that whacks the side of your boat.

Coastal rivers like the Steinhatchee on Florida's west coast are noted for producing prodigious catches of trout, redfish and sheepshead throughout the colder months, and tourists are far fewer in winter. (Sea Hag Marina)

In places like Alabama’s Mobile River above I-10, there may be 25 boats drifting above a massive school of sea trout, puppy drum, black drum and other winter refugees from the open waters of Mobile Bay, and everybody catches fish. (In this situation, if everybody is drifting, you have to drift too—if you anchor, you miss up everybody else. If the local custom is to anchor, you anchor or spotlock, too—when in Rome.)

In smaller rivers like the spring fed Crystal River or the nearby Homosassa in Florida, you may see two or three boats—or none--on a deep bend, and there you can fish as you like. The Steinhatchee and the Suwannee are also noted winter fishing rivers on Florida’s west coast.

If you don’t see other boats, look for deep, rocky or oyster holes, often on sharp bends or around bridges where dredging has taken place. Keep an eye on your sonar to find the likely spots.

Or head up some of the many murky coastal creeks in Georgia and the Carolina’s and you’ll soon find complete solitude—but also some tricky tides. The routine in the Low Country is to find a shallow creek that drops into a deep, oystery hole on falling tide. With tide changes of 6 to 8 feet in some areas here, you’ll of course want to go with a guide until you learn a few spots. Otherwise, you’re likely to wind up stuck and waiting for the tide to bring back the water. Savannah, Charleston, Hilton Head and other coastal destinations have plenty of guides who know this country well.

Redfish are among the primary targets when fishing creeks in the southeast in winter--they take a variety of soft plastics as well as live shrimp. (Z-Man Lures)

Success in this action does not require a PhD in sports fishing. Buy a bucket full of live shrimp—readily available in most coastal towns though they may run short in extreme cold snaps--and you’re in business. Your standard fresh water tackle will do the job—7’ medium-light spinning rod, 2500 size reel and 10-pound braid with a couple feet of 20-pound test fluorocarbon leader is fine for most catches.

Add enough weight to keep the bait trundling along bottom with the current—anywhere from a quarter-ounce in shallow water and slow current to over an ounce in deep water and strong flow. A size 1 to 1/0 short shank hook is right for most of the fish you find inland in winter, typically trout of 15 to 20 inches, reds of 2 to 5 pounds and sheepshead of similar size. The sheepshead are usually smack against rip rap, bridge pilings or submerged rock. Tail hook the shrimp—it will stay on the hook better than if hooked under the “horn” on the head, or break it into 1” chunks for the sheepshead.

Sea trout, including monsters like this one on a Slick Lure, are also stacked in coastal rivers in winter. (Pure Flats)

Quarter-ounce jigs with 3” to 5”soft plastic tails work very well, too—slow hops tapping bottom do the job. So does the Slick Lure, twitched steadily. Artificial shrimp like the DOA Shrimp, Savage Shrimp or Vudu Shrimp or flavored baits like the Z-Man Scented Shrimp-Z and Berkley GULP shrimp are also good—cast upcurrent and let them drift down with very little movement of the rod. If you get a warmer, sunny day, a topwater like the Rapala Skitter V fished along the edges of the holes and around oyster bars can turn up some big trout.

Not only are the fish more cooperative, so are the accommodations. In many coastal areas, hotel and VRBO prices go down in winter, and there are far fewer people on the roads and in the restaurants. The coastal towns and beaches and boat ramps are quiet.

And while you may not get the opportunity to get a nice southern tan anywhere but on your face and hands, you can enjoy the ambience of the southeast coast without the crowds—that alone makes it worth the trip.

— By Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com