Another tactic that produces snook in February is to fish upriver. The discharge from the Fort Myers power plant flows down the Orange River and this thermal refuge can be warm enough to hold active, feeding snook all winter. The Peace River does not have a power plant, but deeper holes in some of the outside bends are worth a shot. Some excellent holes are several miles inland from I-75.

Spotted seatrout are a dependable target in our coastal waters throughout winter. Cold-weather fishing in dredged canals, boat basins, deep natural creeks and in deep portions of the rivers often produces some of the hottest trout fishing of the year. Live shrimp are a great choice for bait, yet a variety of artificials also work. Jigs are always worth a try and there are a few old-timers that regularly take limits of hefty winter trout by trolling swimming plugs such as Rapalas and Bombers.

Almost all offshore fishermen will focus on bottom fish this month. You can fill the box with a mixed bag of gag grouper, mangrove snapper, spawning-size sheepshead, triggerfish, grunts and other reef fish at small ledges in as little as 20 or 30 feet of water. The key is to anchor precisely on these tiny structures. Ten or 15 feet off the spot can make the difference between fresh fish and hot dogs for dinner. Live baits—pinfish, squirrelfish and small grunts—usually produce the most gags, but dropping shrimp on light tackle is the ticket to success with the other reef residents.

If bottom fishing just isn’t your bag, there should be some bonito around and it’s possible that there could be a decent showing of Spanish mackerel, particularly in the southern portion of the region.

BEST BET: SOUTHWEST

Much of Lake Okeechobee’s fame as a premier bass fishing destination is due to the strong winter fishery for bedding bass. It’s a fishery that countless thousands of visiting anglers have sampled at a time of year when bass action “up north” is nearly nonexistent. Better yet, this fishery offers the very best chances in the USA for anglers to land a 10-pound-plus bass.

The best way to experience bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee is to hire a guide who knows precisely where on the vast lake to find bedding bass. If you’re a do-it-yourself type, areas well known for winter bass on the north end of the lake include Fisheating Bay, the Monkey Box, Horse Island and Tin House Cove. In the Clewiston area, focus your efforts on the East Wall or the West Wall, while Bay Bottom and Buzzard’s Roost are worth a look in the Belle Glade area.

Classic bed fishing involves dropping plastic lizards or 10-inch worms on the beds and moving them as slowly as possible in an attempt to irritate adult bass into picking up the lure to move it off the bed. Sometimes topwater plugs or buzzbaits are good for prospecting unseen beds, particularly in the early morning hours.

By the way, bass aren’t the only fish in Lake Okeechobee. February is an excellent month for speckled perch (black crappie) fishing. Drifting with tiny jigs or live minnows in four to eight feet of water along the shoals off Clewiston, at Tin House Cove or Indian Prairie is almost a sure bet.

FS