The species we target in skinny water and the areas we target fish, vary depending on the season. Water levels from tidal activity fluctuate throughout the year. Negative low tides put a limit on the shallow water areas that can be fished, but big high tides push water and fish into places that normally have neither.
Compared to other parts of the country, our tidal swings are minimal. This means very little to the fish since these are the only tides they have ever known. Following is a skinny water calendar. It forecasts what fish will be doing in shallow water throughout the year and the areas suitable to hold fish during that part of the season.
Winter
Winter reintroduces fish in skinny water to negative low tides. This is an ideal time to know where the deeper holes are on a shallow flat. Redfish, will hunker down in these holes and wait for the tide to come back in. Early winter redfish are far less nervous and wary than late winter redfish and multiple fish can be pulled from one hole.
Fishing in the many brackish rivers around Sarasota, FL is an excellent winter option. Shallow bays and creek mouths become a playground for redfish. Snook enjoy some of the same areas of the rivers as redfish do, but are most frequently found near points.
Snook will be in skinny water at first light on some of the coldest mornings. The shallow water heats up first and snook take full advantage of this. Dark bottoms and oyster bars hold the most heat and are a good place to start looking for snook on winter mornings. But don’t overlook a light patch of sand either. We’ve seen snook stacked up over sand on cold mornings.
By the end of winter, both the angler and the fish are ready for the end of negative low tides. Redfish are tired of having lures and flies plunked on their heads when they’re huddled together in hole on low tide. They become skittish. Anglers are eager to get back out to their favorite spring flats.
Spring
Spring brings boundless optimism for both anglers and fish. Clear water and the renewed presence of baitfish marks the beginning of spring fishing in skinny water. Fish are energized as the water temperature warms and nears 800 Fahrenheit. The grass flats come to life and sandy swaths are peppered with snook.
In spring, redfish roam across the shallow grass flats searching for meals on rising tides. At times, the water seems almost too clear and anglers wish for just enough wind to disturb the glassy surface of the water to conceal their intentions to the fish. Anglers welcome the rare unannounced visit of a cobia. There’s no place more special to hook a cobia, than the skinny water of the flats.
Summer
Fishing in the beginning of summer has similarities to the spring. Water temperatures haven’t peaked and fish remain active in shallow water. Juvenile tarpon fishing in the shallow waters of brackish rivers around Sarasota, FL can be phenomenal in the beginning of summer.
Eventually, the oppressive heat of the summer settles in and brings traditional shallow water fishing to a screeching halt. Some snook and redfish can still be found in shallow water, but they tend to be most active at night when the water has had time to cool. Night fishing in skinny water can be rewarding, but requires some local knowledge to enjoy.
The cooler water of the Gulf of Mexico is a sanctuary for fish in summer. The shallow sand flats, also known as the beach, will provide anglers with excellent sight fishing opportunities. Snook will be swimming in the skinny water near the trough in high numbers. Recently, schools of redfish have been doing the same thing during the dog days of summer.
Fall
Right when it seems that summer heat will never end, fall creeps in. Fall offers cooling relief and shorter days. The change is barely noticeable at first, but a slight cooling of the water temperature will reactivate shallow water fish.
The incredible phenomenon of schooling redfish in skinny water happens in fall. Some redfish schools are massive and unmistakable as they plow through shallow water. Other schools are less conspicuous – filled with tentative fish.
In fall, snook are more willing to move longer distances to chase down a well-placed plug, soft plastic, or fly. Seatrout begin spending more time in shallow water and will exhibit careless aggression towards topwater and subsurface plugs. Fishing in back country areas begins to pick up as fall progresses.
