Fishingcast: Conditions for Dec. 15-21

BACKWATER

Warming air temps will raise water temp now 67; expect 72. Week will be storm free. Wind moderate with some gusty p.m.’s. Tides off mid-week new moon remarkably steady and moderate. Action on juvenile snook waning with borderline water temps. Scattered action Hurricane Pass, Addison Bay on pilchards. Bigger sheepshead here with cold a.m.’s past week. Question as to their staying. Try cooler deep holes Marco River / Collier Creek with tad shrimp,  crab. Some spec trout active Calhoun Channel (ICW) incoming drift 4-6’ shrimp under popper.

NEARSHORE

Flat conditions here until late week. First, second reefs have minimal keeper sheepshead on tad shrimp, crab worked vertically. Lane snapper in mix with tipped weighted jigs under chum Also chance cool water triggerfish, flounder and silver trout. Walton Reef early incoming with top water jigs worked over chum for schooled mackerel.

OFFSHORE

Favorable conditions. All winds mild and easterly until Thursday. Few smaller kings on deep wrecks holding on heavy bait presence. Try live runner on wire under float in chum. Closer in yellowtail snapper on wreck structure, work with free-lined tads chum fed into slick. Underway both ways, set lookout sighting tripletail sunning off crab trap markers. Idle back work with tipped dark color jig.