February is usually the slowest month, business wise, each year. It’s mainly because, on average, it’s the coldest month of the year, and with that comes cold fronts which brings rain and wind. If we get some weather windows in February, the fishing can be very good. From December through March, Black Sea Bass is a staple target for us because these are typically the only months we expect to see decent number of them. They are a cold water fish which migrate down from up North as winter sets in and our water temperatures drop. Being a cold water fish i what makes them such great table fare. They are a voracious fish, eating any and everything they can fit in their oversized mouth. They east fish, crabs, shrimp, octopus, flounder; everything! The bait of choice for black sea bass is cut bait of any kind, squid, sardines, cigar minnows, and even artificials like fish bites, jugs, metal jigs, grubs, etc… There is not a bad bait to use. They are not picky! This time of year, we can also mix in some Vermilion Snapper, a few triggerfish, and we have all the Red Snapper you could ever want, except they are closed and must be released. Grouper are also closed this time of year from Jan 1 through April 30th, so they too, must be released. As March approches, and our water warms, we expect more of the same fishing such as Black Sea Bass, Vermilion Snapper, Triggerfish. We also expect to start seeing some jacks move into our waters, along with cobia. Live bait, to include cigar minnows and spanish sardines are starting to show up in good number offshore and with them, I’ve been finding Atlantic Bonito, Little Tunny, and Bluefish. All of these are fun on artificial baits with a light spinning reel. Any day now, especially if we can keep these streaks of warm weather, we should start seeing schools of Spanish Mackerel showing up around the St. John Inlet. These are always a lot of fun to catch on spoons and jigs. You can either slow troll them or cast into the schools if you can spot them. Usually if you see the birds hovering above the water in groups, Spanish Mackerel is what’s under the water! As Spring approaches, it’s a great time to fish. Things will begin to change on a dail basis, and all these changes are good ones. Lets go! Team Buck Rogers Fishing Charters 904-362-0609
