By Capt. Jon Bull

Believe it or not, here in Tampa Bay, Florida, we have a winter season. I am sure that many reading this from other parts of the country will scoff at that notion, but it is true. When the highs are in the 60’s, us thin-blooded “Buccaneers” bundle up, start drinking hot liquids, and have fire pit nights. Floridians are not the only organisms that have to adjust to the “dipping” mercury. The fish that live in our saltwater flats and estuaries must adjust as well. As anglers, we also must adjust right along with the fish to give ourselves the best chance at catching those “Winter-Time Skinnies.”

During mid-November through mid-April, the flats of Tampa Bay go through some changes. Gone are the daily deluges produced by the afternoon thunderstorms of the summer which causes tannin runoff giving our waters a “sweet tea” coloration. In the winter, the waters of Tampa Bay become as clear as your favorite brand of vodka. The other big change that occurs is our tides. During the winter, tides are usually just barely over the +1.0’ mark, which equates to the height of your knee to thigh. Often, tides can be negative up to -1.0’ to -1.5’ meaning that much of the substrate that is usually covered by water is now exposed much of the time. The sun exposure will warm the substrate and activate all the little creepy crawlies (shrimp, crabs, marine worms) that fish like to eat. With the low, clear water, fish will tend to be on guard (or spooky) when up in the shallows. There is one group of anglers that can still find much success despite these challenging conditions: the anglers who fly-fish from a paddle craft.

In today’s world of personal paddle craft, you have kayaks and paddle boards. Both can close the distance on some of our wintertime angling obstacles in Tampa Bay; they float in very little water and are very stealthy when paddling which allows you to sneak up on wary redfish, snook, and spotted sea trout. Ultimately, with a paddle craft, it is a matter of slowing down. You will be limited to the area you fish. Most paddle craft fishing trips cover about one to five miles per day. Fishing from a paddle craft forces you to maximize your efforts at an area; a sort of, “take what is given to you,” approach. By doing this, you can become a better angler. You will learn the signs that tell you fish are in the area. Nature has a way of letting us know what is going on. By slowing down, you can take the time to observe these signs.

The number one sign in nature that I use to find fish is wading birds. In Florida, we have an abundance of bird life that patrols the shallow water areas where seagrass thrives and is the basic level of the food chain. When wading, they hunt small baitfish, crabs and shrimp that live in the seagrass. Snook, redfish, and spotted sea trout mainly feed on the same prey items much like their feathered counterparts. So, it stands to reason that if the wading birds, like egrets and herons, are patrolling a flat, then game fish are sure to be nearby. One way to tell, is to observe how deep in the water the bird is. This takes a little bit of ornithological knowledge to determine this. Basically, if a great blue heron is in water barely covering one-third of his legs, there will probably not be a game fish there. However, if his tail feathers are touching the water, you can bet a predator fish will be prowling nearby.

So where does fly-fishing fit into all of this? It fits like a glove! In fly-fishing, our casts that are presented to fish that are sighted (sight-casted) are seldom farther than forty feet. Aside from a 16’ technical poling skiff, I personally fish from an Isle inflatable paddle board. By standing up, I can have a much further line of sight on the flats. If you fish from a paddle board or a kayak that allows you to stand, one tip that could save you some frustration with your fly line management is to get a stripping mat and lay it out on the deck. A stripping mat will keep your line from getting tangled or from getting underneath your kayak, thus fouling your cast at a critical moment.

Now let’s talk fly-fishing gear! With the low clear water of the wintertime Tampa Bay flats the delicate presentations that are produced from fly gear can really be an advantageous way to catch fish. Most saltwater fly anglers will tell you that an eight-weight fly outfit will pretty much do everything you need to do with most inshore fish species including tarpon up to forty pounds. Floating fly lines are a must when working ultra-skinny water depths. In terms of leaders and tippets, you can keep it simple or if the conditions dictate, get much more technical. In the winter, tippets may have to be scaled down to 8-12# tippet. Many companies make knotless, tapered 8-12# tippets that are usually nine feet long. I will often add an additional three feet of 8-12# fluorocarbon tippet to the leader to give me a twelve-foot leader between the fly and my fly line. The small diameter tippets are difficult for fish to see and help to land the fly very delicately, thus spooking fish less. Small crustacean flies that “match the hatch” will be your top choice from your fly box.  Having the odd baitfish pattern in your box is not a bad idea, as some big fish tend to want to eat MEAT in the wintertime!

Slowing down really is the key to learning what is going on around you on the flats. A paddle craft is a tool that forces you to slow down. The signs that were touched on are very hard to see when you are whipping by at 30 miles per hour on a boat. Plus, it allows a fisherman to get back in touch with nature and appreciate the outdoors on a whole new level. Take what you learn from your paddle fishing experience and apply it to your time on your motorized boat, and you could have even more success. That is, if you don’t sell your motorized boat first from lack of use.