Fishing Reports: Soft Jigs - 3/1/2009

CAPTAINS CORNER

SOFT BODY PLUGS: The water temperature keeps going up and down. This will make the fish on the flats move every few days. Areas that had trout before the cold front were empty after a cold front. Sometimes they moved into the wind or headed for deeper water. The best action was motor oil jigs dragged close to the bottom. Jigs with red sparkles got the most strikes. The best way to locate the action is to start up-wind of the area you want to fish and drift until you start catching fish. Once located, anchor the boat and fan cast the area until you stop catching fish. Pull the anchor and return to drift fishing until you locate more fish.

TACKLE: Rods rigged with 10lb braided line will cast farther and draw more strikes. A two- foot piece of 15lb leader in front of the jig is mandatory. Make sure you can feel the weight of the jig when retrieving. This will help you feel the strike. Don’t pull back to set the hook, With a quick snap of the rod tip, move the tip toward the fish then back. This will help you get more hook-ups. In the lower parts of Tampa Bay the hot colors are strawberry, motor oil and white. When fishing Clearwater and north, Any color that has green in it will work.