Apalachicola Bay in late January?

[CatchDawg]

Went fishing yesterday and didn't see another boat out there. I'm guessing the recent cold front that came through shut the trout down. Has anyone been catching any keeper size trout in the bay lately? Are they in the creeks?

[eddiejoe]

They move in and out depending on the weather. As a cooler front had made the water temp drop some, I expect they moved into the creeks again, or were moving in during the last couple of days. Two weeks of very warm weather at the start of January put them back out on the flats, although I caught some upriver also. I have always found it to be challenging during the winter to locate the fish. When you do, you can do pretty good but I have also been skunked (on legal sized fish, anyway) during the winter.
If your boat is capable a much better experience can be had (IMO) by going a couple of miles offshore and finding some hard bottom, then catching sea bass with jigs on light tackle. Big bull head sea bass pull nicely on trout tackle, will hit on every drop, and eat much better than small trout, with a lot less effort finding them. I have even caught legal sized grouper with trout tackle doing this, although gags have to be released now and red grouper will close at the end of the month.

EJ

[CatchDawg]

Thanks EJ,
I'm about to head out again this afternoon. Gonna head upriver a bit. Yesterday I believe I could have gone off a few miles but probably not today. That sounds like a fun back up plan for next time though.

[eddiejoe]

Try in the area upstream from the 98 bridge up to Four Tree cutoff (a small, quite deep creek on the east side of the apalach that goes thru to the creeks on the East). Take Four Tree over to the St. Marks River and fish the deep holes in that river and other tribs. Sometimes the railroad trestle area will hold stripers and white bass.
A gulp shrimp fished deep and slow.
EJ

[Old Dog]

Catch... the trout bite at Apalachicola has been good. A little slow there yesterday though with only 34 caught and just two keepers, but a pretty day to be on the water. We'll try them again tomorrow. And we saw several boats on the bay where we were.
OD

[Old Dog]

We caught 87 trout yesterday but just 3 keepers. We had to move around a lot and that is what I would suggest to you. You might try putting in at Abercrombie Landing at the end of Bluff Road and accessing the delta river outlets via Four Tree Cut Off. And if the weather ever gets real cold you might consider launching on the upper bay at either Cash Creek Landing, or at Whiskey George Creek. One of the fun things I like about fishing is exploring new places. Go exploring. Wet a hook at likely looking places and soon you'll start making a to-go list like many of us old veterans. Our fish were caught on a variety of lures including the Gulp brand "Sugar and Spice Shrimp," under a rattlin' float and free-lined, the Saltwater Assassin "Sneaky Pink," and the DOA 3" inch glo shrimp. Good luck.
OD