Like any winter month in the Keys, February can have days that are cold, windy and nasty, or warm, sunny and cloudless, plus everything in between. One way to kick your backcountry fishing to the next level is to employ a game plan based on the day’s weather conditions.

On a bluebird day, water on the flats will warm quickly. This tempts predators of all kinds to cruise the flats in pursuit of a quick meal. Sight fishing for redfish, trout and jacks will be the pattern to follow, especially in the afternoon. Water on backcountry flats can warm as much as 10 degrees in a single day when the sun is bright and the sky cloudless. Don’t be surprised if tarpon join the fray either. If we can string together a few calm, sunny days near the end of the month tarpon will be out in force.

When a strong chill is in the air following a front and the water temperature plummets, the deep channels hold the bulk of the fish that haven’t bailed out into the Gulf. Flamingo-area channels, like Tin Can, Snake Bight, Rocky and Conchie can stack up with trout, jacks, ladyfish and black drum. Gamesters frequently congregate in these channels as well as deeper runoffs near a flat edge on any stage of the tide simply because of the cold water prevalent on top of the grassflats.

Getting bites on every cast when fishing a tipped jig is not uncommon when conditions are at their best. Untipped jigs work well for trout, jacks and ladyfish while bottom-dwelling black drum prefer something wiggly like a live shrimp worked slowly along the bottom. Fly rodders can get in the game, too, by casting a sinking line and bulky fly that pushes some water or makes noise. Cast across the channel and let the fly sink near the bottom before starting a slow, deliberate retrieve.

One winter resident of the Florida Keys is caught infrequently by most anglers, has a highly compressed build much like a permit, is found on various offshore environments including wrecks and natural structure, and can be readily fought on light tackle. It’s the African pompano.

Numerous Keys wrecks, in water depths ranging from 50 to 300 feet, hold schools of these hard-fighting jacks. They range in size from five to 30 pounds with a few pushing over 40. Tackle can be any size and style you’re comfortable with as most African pomps tend not to run into a wreck’s line-cutting structure. When hooked on light line, these fish usually make a long first run and then fight doggedly over or near the wreck. This allows you the chance to land even a large pompano on light line.

Prime baits for African pompano include pinfish, pil- chards, cigar minnows and goggle-eyes. Stick to 50-pound leaders, small live bait or circle hooks and just enough lead to get down near the bottom. It’s best to work your bait immediately above the wreck structure or slightly off to the side.

You can rig bait on an appropriately sized jig. Just make sure the jig is white or yellow. African pompano are suckers for a jig-and-bait combination.