This blog post shares insights on winter inshore kayak fishing in East Central Florida. The author, a fan of Peaky Blinders, likens launching into cold waters to the show’s phrase, "in the bleak mid-winter."

Key Takeaways:
Winter Fishing Challenges: Cold snaps, fluctuating temperatures, and high barometric pressure slow fish metabolisms, making them less aggressive feeders.
Down-Sizing for Success: Using smaller baits, lighter tackle, and matching seasonal forage increases bites. Recommended lures include the 2-inch Egret Baits Vudu Shrimp and Tsunami Swim Shad.
Choosing the Right Spots: Fishing near deep water adjacent to sun-warmed flats or in protected creeks like Goat Creek and Turkey Creek improves chances of finding active fish.
The Right Kayak Matters: A stable, quiet kayak like the Old Town Topwater 120 PDL or Hobie Outback helps anglers navigate backwaters effectively.
Winter fishing can be tough, but with the right approach, it remains rewarding. Local fishing reports, like those from Spacefish, provide valuable insights. Thanks for supporting Kayaks By Bo!

So I am a huge fan of the television series Peaky Blinders. If you have not indulged yet, I could not recommend it enough. Throughout the series the main characters will utter a line in times of fear and/or danger… “in the bleak mid-winter”. There is some context there, which I don’t really have the time to dive into considering this is a blog about kayak fishing, but that is a line that I usually mutter whenever I am about to put my feet into the water to launch a kayak on a cold winter morning, when the winds and weather have already prompted me to leave the house in a sweatshirt.

This is the time of year that can really pose problems for the inshore angler. Cold snaps, temperature fluctuations that resemble a ride on a roller coaster, north winds that bring cooler dense air, and higher barometric pressure - just to name a few. Fish are cold blooded creatures, they do not regulate their own body temperatures, and their metabolism slows wayyyyy down in the winter.

Over time I have begun to dial in a formula to consistently catch fish in the winter, and while I may not be a huge fan of putting on a sweatshirt to go fishing for Snook, I no longer have the same bleak feelings of hopelessness and dread that I once did. To be fair, I still don’t love going ankle-knee deep in the lagoon during the colder parts of the year to launch my kayak, but at least when I do, I have more confidence about catching fish once I am on the water.

Down-Sizing:

The first tip I have for better winter time results is to down-size your presentations. Earlier I mentioned the slowing down of metabolisms. Think about how you feel after eating lunch or dinner. If you are like me, you don’t feel like getting up and running a mile or so and eating again. But if my wife makes cookies, or brownies, (or recently we had “fun-sized” candy bars in our house as a result of my kids school Valentine’s Day parties), I may grab a little bite sized snack on my way out of the kitchen. I may not be hungry for a meal, but if a bite sized snack is there, I’ll grab it and eat it. This is my rationale for down-sizing baits. Also, I try to match the seasonal forage. Match the hatch as they say. Typically the bait fish are smaller in the winter, and predatory fish are more likely to be keyed in on shrimp, and small crustaceans that are an easier meal with less energy burned than chasing down a bait fish.

I also will downsize my leader and braid size in the winter as the waters are typically more clear from the lack of rainfall, and the fish tend to be more finicky/spooky when they’re not feeding as voraciously as they do in the warmer months.

Two baits in particular that have really helped me to generate more bites are the Egret Baits Vudu Shrimp in the “Baby” (2 inch) size; as well as the Tsunami Swim Shad in the 2 inch size. I will typically start with a 20 pound Fluorocarbon base leader, but I’ve gone down to 15 pound test for Snook/Tarpon, and even down to 12 for Trout & Redfish. But if you do go down, just be careful and consider loosening your drag to be able to handle the bigger fish without your line snapping. Pictured below is a 2 inch Swim Bait in the big bucket mouth of a nice sized Snook.

That doesn’t mean bigger baits won’t work, I come prepared with both, and if I see more traditional sized fingerling mullet, or pilchards or whatever being chased, I like throwing a 3-3.5 inch paddle tail on a weedless hook, usually Brown w/ Gold Flake or Silver/White is a safe bet on a ⅛ oz, 3/0 screw-lock hook. I also like throwing weightless & weedless Jerk Baits/Flukes such as the Saltwater Assassin SW Shad in Fried Chicken or Magic Grass as my light/dark options, as well as the NLBN 4 inch K-Tail rigged weightless & Weedless in Krome Ave/Overkast as my light/dark options. Pictured below are some recent Snook, Tarpon, Trout catches from this winter on the aforementioned baits.

Spot-Selection:

While what you throw, and how you throw is certainly important, where you fish is important as well.

So one of the hardest things about fishing in the conditions I described above is figuring out where the fish are. But the formula I have found to give myself the best chance of success is to fish areas with deeper water, next to shallow flats that are sun baked areas where they can go lay up to get sun and warm up. It’s important to remember that fish are cold blooded creatures that need exposure to sunlight or to find warmer water during cold snaps. I also am a big fan of fishing “the creeks” - the tributaries of the Indian River Lagoon.

Starting down south with the St. Sebastian River, Goat Creek, Turkey Creek, Crane Creek, Horse Creek, Sam’s Creek, and with the use of satellite maps, you can find other smaller creeks. Pictured below are images of two good winter spots - Goat Creek down in Grant-Valkaria, and a spot south of 528 on the Banana River side of Merritt Island.

The great thing about these spots are you have places to park and launch your kayak from a natural shoreline, and you can get into areas that are much more difficult/borderline impossible to fish from a boat.

I like these creeks because they offer a muddy bottom, which helps to retain warmth within the water in the colder months, and perhaps most importantly, they offer wind protection. Also, they are just beautiful places to fish, and spend a day on the water. They are great places to paddle or pedal a fishing kayak, or stand-up paddleboard.

But it’s not all just about the scenery! If you get into these calmer waters, move quietly, fish carefully, and keep your baits close to the bottom and you will be able to find a variety of species willing to play! In my experience the places in northern Brevard County offer more Redfish & Trout, while the places on the southern end tend to hold more Snook. Jacks, Ladyfish, Mangrove Snapper, and Sheepshead are almost always in the mix throughout East Central Florida as well.

Conclusion:

Winter time, inshore fishing can be tough in East Central Florida. Cold fronts, wind, barometric pressure, finicky fish all pose problems. However with some patience & persistence and being smart about your presentations, and choosing the right places to fish, it can be fun & rewarding! Being in the right kayak is also a huge factor. I have fished in the Old Town Topwater 120 PDL, and the Hobie Outback over the past 2 winters, and having a vessel that allows me to cover ground to explore different areas, but also to move quietly through the backwater areas allows me to be in the right places and have success.

Another thing I would highly recommend is following local intel through Spacefish, which provides a nice variety of weekly fishing reports. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thank you for your support of Kayaks By Bo!