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East Bay Fishing Report for Dec. 4

 
Published Dec. 2, 2015

Best bait. The extended early fall weather continues as does the fantastic snook bite. Sardines can be caught on the flats just about anytime of day in the 2- to 4-foot range. A few handfuls of chum and a few throws of the net, and the wells have been loaded.

Snook on. Snook are in a holding pattern around the mouths of their winter haunts. Creek and canal systems are holding fish very near the entrances. The fish push in as the fronts arrive and slide out after the weather stabilizes and warm in the sun. Deeper holes on the flats adjacent to these areas are hot. Twenty to thirty snook per trip seems to be the norm, depending on the weather.

Red alert. Redfish are roaming the flats in small groups of two to 10. Tossing a gold spoon is an effective way to find these fish and best a few. Trolling around the mullet schools and tossing soft plastic shad tails also works well. As we approach the next moon phase, the tides will be dropping to below mean low water, which means lots of bars are exposed and the fish group up.

On their tails. Tailing redfish are tough to catch and fishing for them can be extremely addicting. I prefer a gold spoon as a top choice in bait. They cast well, and the steady retrieve coupled with the flash of the spoon can create some deadening strikes. The goal is to cast way past the tailing fish and retrieve the spoon toward them, holding the rod high to keep the line out of the water. Steer the spoon within a foot or so, and if the tail drops, get ready.

Contact Tim Whitfield at (813) 714-0889 or tim@swiftfishcharters.com.