TRUST BR AND MARINERS
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fve things you should know about boat insurance
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Flounder Fishing 101
Do you want to catch more !ounder? You will need to nd an area with current, bait and structure for the !ounder to ambush its prey.
Where are they?
Flounder are very prevalent in creek mouths, jetties, sandy points, oyster bars, docks and any other underwater structures. e !ounder will take advantage of the structures to block the current, saving them energy and bringing bait right to their gluttonous mouths.
Flounder are the perfect ambush predator. ey like to bury in the sand adjacent to structures of some kind facing directly into the current. Your lure presentations always need to come from up current or you will spook them.
What do they eat?
CAPT. MIKE SMITH
and bait sh imitations.
Flounder love to eat unsuspecting shrimp and sh brought to them by the current. e best lures to catch !ounder are scented shrimp
e best colors of lures to use for !ounder are any color as long as it is white. White is by far the best color of lure to catch !ounder. Do other colors work? Yes, if you want to catch fewer !ounders, then use something other than white.
e best lures that I have found for !ounder are Gulp! Shrimp and swimming mullets on a jig head. Start small and go bigger if you notice the bait in the area is large. Having an assortment from 3 to 5 inches will usually be perfect.
A great second choice for a !ounder lure is a white bucktail jig. Add a small piece of shrimp to add odor for best results.
How do you catch a flounder?
Flounder have a very small cone of awareness. ey are very unlikely to notice and
chase a lure that is more than 3 or 4 feet away from them.
ey also have a very small strike zone. ey are very hesitant to rise more than 18 inches o$ of the bottom to eat your lures.
Let’s say you found a beautiful oyster point at the mouth of a creek with plenty of current and bait !owing around it. is scenario is perfect for catching a !ounder.
Cast up current and work the lure on the bottom very slowly in 1 to 3 feet of water. When you think you hooked an oyster, set the hook. Flounder strikes are subtle and o en feel like a hang up.
It is very hard to work your lure too slowly for a !ounder. Old timers will tell you to just drag it on the bottom. I personally like to bounce my lures o$ the bottom being careful to not li it more than 18 inches into the water column.
Pro Tip: Use braided line and !uorocarbon leaders when shing for !ounder. Flouro sinks and helps you present your lures more e$ectively on the bottom. Braid doesn’t stretch and will help you feel a !ounder’s very subtle bites.
If you want to become an o cial !ounder pounder, then follow the tips above and catch more !atties. Go get ‘em!
Capt. Mike Smith, owner of Fish Your Ass O Charters, is an inshore "shing guide who has been "shing the inshore waters, oyster bars and grass ats of Florida for more than 40 years. Reach him at (561) 339-2317, email: contact@ "shyourasso .com or visit "shyourasso .com.
Sailfish in The Florida Keys
By Astrid deGruchy
Sailfish are the true showoffs of the Florida Keys. They’re fast, flashy, and love putting on a performance the second you put a bait in the water. One moment everything’s calm and quiet, and the next your reel is screaming while a sailfish is launching itself out of the ocean like it’s trying to win an Olympic medal. It’s the kind of chaos anglers live for.
The Keys are famous for having one of the best sailfish bites anywhere, especially from November through April. Cold fronts push schools of ballyhoo and other bait along the reef, and the sailfish stay right on their heels. Spots like Islamorada, Marathon, Key Largo, and Key West all fire off during the season, with most of the action happening along
that 80 to 200 foot reef edge. Most captains here rely on live-baiting and kite fishing, two methods that make sailfish practically impossible to resist. There’s nothing like watching a kite bait get
smashed on the surface. And on those calm, clear days after a front, you might even get to sight-cast to tailing sailfish cruising right along the top. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Strong conservation efforts keep sailfish thriving in the Keys, so anglers get to keep making these memories year after year. Whether you’ve done it before or if your someone trying it for the first time, hooking a sailfish here is unforgettable. It’s fast, wild, beautiful and classic Florida Keys fishing.
Follow deGruchy’s adventures at @bean_sportfishing on Instagram and on YouTube @BeanSportfishing.
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FWC APPROVES RULE CHANGES FOR GULF LANE SNAPPER
At its November meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved rule changes for lane snapper in Florida’s Gulf state waters to be more consistent with current and pending federal regulations.
Approved modi!cations of lane snapper in Gulf state waters include increasing the commercial and recreational minimum size limit from 8 inches to 10 inches total length, and establishing a 20-!shper-person recreational bag limit. ese changes are intended to reduce the risk of over!shing, mitigate the likelihood of early closures, and increase consistency between Gulf state and federal waters. e new Gulf lane snapper recreational regulations will go into e ect on April 1, 2026.
For the full Commission Meeting Nov 5-6 agenda including links to background reports, go to MyFWC.com/About and click on “ e Commission” and “Commission Meetings.”
Fishing Report & Forecast Fernandina
By Terry Lacoss
Live baiting for fast swimming wahoo remains excellent during the month of February, particularly during end of February when the moon is approaching the full faze. Launching your blue water fishing boat from the Dee Dee Bartel public boat ramp leaves wahoo fishermen a fifty to sixty-mile offshore run. Many wahoo fishermen will leave a couple of hours before sunrise, arriving at their fishing destination at sunrise.
Wahoo fishing begins by jigging up bonito and blue runners then rigging them up to kingfish leaders and gear. Wahoo fishing begins by slow trolling their live baits close to and over the very same live bottom they jigged up their live baits.
Sea trout fishermen are also slow trolling white and chartreuse colored plastic shrimp with ¼ ounce led head jigs for spotted sea trout in the Amelia River during the last of the incoming tides. Some of the best areas include deep edges of the intra-coastal waterway where ambush points are numerous. Some of the best ambush points include boat docks, deep turns in the river, rocky shorelines and sandbars that reach out into the river.
Red fishing continues to be excellent during the month of February at the St. Mary’s jetties during the last of the incoming and the first of the falling tides. Cast a chartreuse colored, ¼
ounce jig head paired with a four-inch Berkley Gulp shrimp in the white and chartreuse color pattern. Look for low areas in the jetty rocks where schooling redfish will be waiting for a variety of forage foods to be feeding as well.
Dropping down a barbed fiddler crab close to jetty runouts will also produce excellent eating sheepshead weighing to five pounds and more! Fishing with a ¼ blue crab at the very tip of the south jetty rocks will produce excellent black drum fishing with the occasional “Bull” redfish.
Largemouth bass fishermen will find excellent bass fishing in the many brackish tidal rivers located just off from Amelia Island including the St. Mary’s River, Loftin and Boggy Creeks. Some of the best largemouth bass will come during the last portion of the month of February when the moon is growing and bass will be spawning.
A favorite place to launch your bass boat includes the Bill Melton public boat ramp located on SR-200. Bass fishermen will find some of the best bass fishing just south of this popular boat ramp while casting six-inch gold Rapala. Also be prepared to encounter redfish, sea trout and stripers further downstream where Loftin Creek mixes with saltwater.. For more fishing information and charters call (904) 261-2870, or
Jacksonville Offshore Fishing Club
By Darrin “Doc” Willingham
Our Jacksonville Offshore Sport Fishing Club (JOSFC) is working hard to make our 2026 El Cheapo Sheepshead Tournament a great time for everyone. The El Cheapo final registration will be from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM (or whenever we finish registering folks on February 27, 2026. The El Cheapo Angler Rules Meeting will start promptly at 7:00 PM, followed by our Friday Night Raffle with plans to have everyone on their way home by 8:00 PM. The El Cheapo Tournament starts at Safe Light on February 28, 2026, and our competing anglers MUST, MUST, MUST be in the weigh-in line with their fish by 4:00 PM. If you are not fishing, make sure to come watch the weigh-in, enjoy some FRESH-AS-IT-GETS Sheepshead and fixin’s for dinner, cheer on our Junior Anglers, Lady Anglers, Kayak Anglers, “Reel Warriors Division” Anglers and General Division Anglers at the awards ceremony and win some incredible items in our El Cheapo Raffle. This is our third year teaming up with “Angelwood” (supporting folks with Intellectual and Developmental Differences).
Our meeting on February 5, 2026, will have Captain Damien, one of our local Shrimp Boat Captains, sharing a presentation on how the big boats catch shrimp. Our February 19th meeting will be dedicated to discussing strategies to catch the biggest and best Sheepshead. Dinner starts at 7:00 PM with our educational
presentation starting at 7:30-ish at the William “Bill” Gulliford, Jr. -Mayport Community Center, 4875 Ocean Street, Jacksonville Florida 32211 (across the street from the Mayport Boat Ramp).
We meet the first and third Thursday of each month, doors open at 6:00 PM, Dinner at 7:00 PM, Educational/Guest Speakers at approximately 7:30, a little Club business and then we close each meeting with a great Raffle. Guests are always welcome. Come check out our fishing club. We would love to meet you. We would love for you to become a member.
We will see you soon at the most-likely-world-famous 26th Annual El Cheapo Sheepshead Tournament (Presented by Brian Crane’s team at Advance Marine).
SAVE THE DATE: El Cheapo Sheepshead Tournament February 28, 2026. $10,000 First Place Prize. (based on 300 paid General tournament entries)
Darrin “Doc” Willingham JOSFC President “Living the Dream”
Fishing Report & Forecast Pier and Surf
By Noel Kuhn
This is the critical month for an early spring or not. After all those January days in the eighties I think spring is here early. So let’s get out and find some clean warm water and catch some fish! When I say warm I mean 65 and above. That is the turning point when the Pompano return in mass. They first show up in Flagler and the Hammock. Also the beaches in that area from High Bridge Road north through the Hammock is the best place to catch fresh fleas.
The rigging for your fresh caught fleas, shrimp, or clams is the double dropper, aka Pompano rig. You can find them in the beach side tackle shops. Be sure to get the ones with 2/0 circle hooks. This is small enough for a medium size whiting but yet strong enough to give you a shot at landing a nice Redfish or Black Drum. Using the sputnik style sinkers ensures
you that your bait stays where you cast it.
People often ask me where is the best place to surf fish. My answer is always learn how to read the surf. During my charters we spend the first ten minutes looking up and down the beach to fish the best spot. I ask them to look for something different and that is where you will find the fish. These differences are known as rips, run outs, troughs, slews, bars, bowls, pump outs, and many more. YouTube is a great place to view and learn. Just search “How to read the beach for surf fishing”. The best time to find the best spots on the Atlantic coast is at a low tide with the sun to your back.
Here some other really useful tools from the internet that I use regularly to be more successful. “Windy” is great for current and forecast wind speeds. “SST Rutgers” for water temps. My favorite is Surfline. It gives you a lot of info at one spot. The live beach cams can also be helpful.
I’m really looking forward to this early run. Get out and enjoy the warm sunny days while getting your string stretched! Keep in mind that if you want to learn how to cast 300, 400, 500 feet and beyond just give me a call. Until then see you on the beach. .
and
www.TheSurfAngler.com
Fishing Report & Forecast St. Augustine Inshore
By Capt. Tommy Derringer
It’s sight fishing time… It’s sight fishing time… It’s sight fishing time! Can you tell I’m a little excited? Our cooler months give anglers in Northeast Florida the best chance to get out there and sight fish a redfish in the shallows. If air temps are on the cold side, the water will clear up. The colder it gets, the clearer the water will be (The colder water will kill off the algae that makes our waters so murky much of the year). As of report time it’s been warm some weeks and cool others with some great sight-fishing opportunities in between. As much as it pains me to say, because I hate being cold, I hope it does get cool-ish again so that water will clear up! This also marks the time of year when our inshore fish really get schooled up both on the flats and in the creeks. Clear water, schooled up redfish, and not many boats on the water, does it get any better?
Slot-sized redfish will be schooled up this time of year. Locating the larger schools of fish can be tough, but if you know what to look for it may be easier than you think. I like to scout for schools of fish on the lower tide stage, as it gets them more bunched up. Look for the areas on a flat that will hold just enough water for the fish at dead low tide. You can bet that if a large flat just about dries up at low tide, all the fish that
live there will be in the spots holding just enough water for them to swim in. Those shallow areas will warm up on sunny days creating an ideal place for the redfish to hang out and warm up a bit. If the flat goes completely dry, check the edges or troughs. When you find the fish there, wait for the tide to come back in and follow the fish back up onto the flat to see where they like to go. You can be a real flats fishing “ninja” once you pattern wintertime schooled-up reds.
My go-to lure for wintertime sight fishing is the Saltwater Assassin Elite Shiner paddle tail. I like to pair it up with either a 1/8oz Saltwater Assassin jighead or weedless hook, depending on bottom conditions. Once reason I really like that Elite shiner is because of its small, thin profile that doesn’t make much splash when entering the water. It’s important to stay lightweight if possible because sometimes with clearer water comes spookier fish. Using a light setup will allow you to make less splash when the lure enters the water, thus allowing you to cast closer to the fish without spooking him. If you are casting to a school of fish, lead them by as much as you can. If your bait or lure lands too close to just one fish, you may spook the whole school.
A couple other species we’ll be targeting this time of year will be trout, black drum, and sheepshead. If you find a nice warm spot up on the flats this time of year you may just run into some big, laid-up trout. The smaller schooling trout will be thick in the deeper creek holes. The drum and sheepshead can be found in the same creek holes, especially on the lower tide stages. If you’re targeting the trout, use a rig that allows you to fish in the middle of the water column. If you’re looking to get the drum and sheepies, go to the bottom with fiddler crabs or shrimp.
Capt. Tommy Derringer
904-377-3734 • www.InshoreAdventures.net
FLOATING DOCKS DELIVERED!
Fishing Report & Forecast St. Augustine Offshore
By Capt. Robert Johnson
February is for Anglers searching for jumbo Wahoo. Colder water temperatures force Wahoo and Tuna offshore to 145’+ depths. Technique depends on your patience level and my advice for the following 3 options:
O1) Live bait: Many anglers have switched to live bait. This involves using a heavier version of a King Mackerel rig. Locate the bait, and the fish are not far behind. Use a heavy sabiki rig to catch bait. If the water temp is above 72 degrees, I would set out. This is a lesson in patience with significant rewards.
O2) High speed trolling: Personally, not my favorite; but very effective when it comes to covering a lot of ground and locating fish. Twelve - 14 knots is my speed of choice and pretty much any heavy headed lure will work. Many run a trolling lead in front of the lure to keep it in the water. The trick is not to slow down too quickly and always maintain forward motion when you get a fish on. Weighted lures are prone to coming unhooked if you don’t stay in gear.
O3) Normal trolling: My favorite. When I say normal, I mean a typical bait spread. This option allows you to target multiple species. Wahoo, Blackfin Tuna, Sailfish and the occasional early season Mahi. My typical spread consists of 8 lines. Off the bridge, normally a blue and white cedar plug on one side and a bait on the other. 75% of the Tuna bites will come from these 2 lines. Eat your Wheaties - typical distance back is at least 200 ft. The long riggers will be bait lure combos with one normally rigged on wire. The short riggers behind the teasers will be naked ballyhoo rigged on 100# monofilament. This is where we get most of our Sail and Mahi bites. On the stern we run a flat line on one side and a line down deep on the other. The standard deep line bait is a Ballyhoo rigged Blue and White Islander Hawaiian eye behind a #3 planner.
If we have a lot of bite-offs, we increase the use of wire in our spread. This time of year, the key is to stay on the fish. Normally, if we get a few bites we stay in the area. I have spent the entirety of a trip and never moved more than 3 miles from the first bite.
If bottom fishing is your choice there are plenty of species to catch. In the nearshore waters Black Sea Bass will be chewing in the 70 to 100ft range. There will be a few Gray Triggerfish and Lane Snapper mixed in. In 21 to 23 fathoms there will be plenty of Vermillion snapper and gray triggerfish. February is also a great month for Mutton snappers. If Muttons are your target fish live bottom in the 140 to 180 ft range. I like a 80# leader at least 10ft long. A cut grunt plug or half of a Boston mackerel is my bait of choice. Flexibility is a must in February. Pay attention to the fronts and plan your trip accordingly. Don’t worry about the cold, it’s normally 20 degrees warmer because of the Gulf Stream water temperature. .
Captain Robert Johnson (904)540-2628
Jodielynncharters.com
Jlfishing@bellsouth.net
TIDE CHART - February
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
HIGHS LOWS& ON LAKE 'O'
By Don Norton
For years, underwater vegetation in Lake Okeechobee has been disappearing, but now it’s making a comeback!
Last December, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started a “recovery” schedule for Lake Okeechobee, with the goal of getting the lake below 12 feet
for 90 days or below 11.5 feet for 60 days. !e lower lake level is needed for sunlight to reach the lake bottom and new submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) to sprout.
Lake Okeechobee level was 12.08 on April 13, 2025, which was 2.82 feet lower than a year ago. By April 15th, the lake fell below 12 feet above sea level.
At the June 5 meeting of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board, scientists were hopeful the lake low would stay below 12 feet for the full 90-day target. If the water rises faster than the plants can grow, new plants could be damaged or lost.
!en, by June 22, 2025, the o cial Lake Okeechobee elevation was 10.99 feet.
Last year, on the same day, the lake was at 13.37 feet. And the year before that? A whopping 14.33! Even the historical average for that time of year (1965-2007) was 13.24 feet. !at meant we were sitting about 2.25 feet below average.
What did that mean for you, the angler? Well, lower water levels can concentrate the sh, making them easier to nd…sometimes. But even more importantly, you have to be extra careful navigating those shallower areas.
I don’t normally sh Lake Okeechobee, but thanks to Capt. Robin Clegg and his late summer YouTube videos, I ventured down to the “Big O” a couple of times and had a great time catching bass.
Launching at C. Scott Driver Park, I took Capt. Clegg’s advice and made the short trip to King’s Bar, and for the next couple of hours, caught bass a er bass on a wide variety of lures. !e key was to be there at rst light!
!e water was still pretty low, but as long as you shed the outside reeds, there was plenty of water (and bass).
Capt. Clegg, by the way, works out of Garrard’s Bait and Tackle, located at 4375 US Highway 441 in Okeechobee, just a couple of miles from the boat ramps.
As I write this article in mid-January, the water level is back up to 13.3’ thanks to all the rain we’ve received, the new plants are doing well—and the shing is still excellent!
Don Norton is Co-Publisher of Coastal Angler Magazine’s Okeechobee edition. Contact him at (863) 273-4998 or don@theanglermagazine.com.
Valued at over $90,000 MSRP, only 2500 tickets left.
By Capt. Michael Okruhlik
water bites
February might not get the hype of spring break or summer tides, but pro cient coastal anglers know a secret: some of the best shing of the year happens when the crowds are gone, the water is cold, and the sh are predictable.
Winter has settled in by February. Water temperatures hover in the upper 40s to low 50s, especially a er a strong north wind. !at cold pushes bait and game sh into tighter zones, turning miles of water into a handful of high-percentage spots. If you can nd warmth, you can nd sh.
Speckled trout are the headline act this time of year. Big trout in particular prefer slow, easy meals in cold water, which is why February is prime time for trophy hunters. Deep guts, channels and drop-o s near shallow ats are key. Trout slide shallow during the a ernoon when the sun warms mud or dark grass, then fall back into deeper water when temperatures drop.
Slow presentations rule. So plastics on light jig heads, suspending twitch baits, and so jerk shads worked slowly can trigger reaction strikes. Make sure you know the gear ratio of your reel. You may think you are moving slowly, but if the reel is taking up a lot of line, you may be o target. Cold-water trout won’t chase far, but they will inhale an easy meal.
Red sh remain a dependable target throughout February. While they may not school as aggressively as in the fall, reds still prowl shorelines, back lakes, and marsh drains—especially on sunny days. Look for black mud bottoms that warm faster and concentrate bait.
Sight-casting opportunities can be outstanding on calm, clear days. Reds cruising skinny water are o en willing biters, even in cold conditions. Gold spoons, paddletails, and weedless so plastics shine here, particularly when worked steadily along shorelines.
February shing success is less about the tide chart and more about the thermometer. Midday is prime time. Early mornings can be brutally slow a er a cold night, but a few hours of sunshine can ip the switch fast. Pay attention to warming trends—two or three stable days can dramatically improve the bite.
Wind plays a major role this month as well. Strong north winds drain water out of bays and expose structure, which can help you locate sh holding in remaining deeper pockets. On calmer days, expect clearer water and more nicky sh.
February rewards patience, observation and con dence. It’s not about covering water—it’s about shing smart, shing slow, and being ready when that unmistakable thump signals a wintertime strike worth remembering.
As I write this article in January, it is near 80 degrees. With that said, if February feels like an early spring, follow your spring shing guidelines. !e sh don’t have a calendar.
Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures,® and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
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SPEND LE TIME ON TASKS More Time Fishing
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ATLANTIC SNOOK SEASON
OPENS FEB. 1
The recreational harvest of snook in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Northeast, Indian River Lagoon and Southeast management regions will open February 1 and remains open through May 31. During snook season, anglers may keep one snook per person per day that is not less than 28 or more than 32 inches in total length, which is measured from the most forward point of the head with the mouth closed to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed while the sh is lying on its side. Other regulations include:
• No commercial harvest or sale of snook is permitted
• Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore
• When on a for-hire trip, captain and crew may not retain a bag limit
• Allowable Gear: Hook and line only
• License Requirements: Snook permit and recreational shing license !e harvest of snook in all of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico state waters, including Everglades National Park and all of Monroe County, remains closed until March 1. Anglers may catch and release snook during the closed season, but the FWC encourages anglers to handle and release these sh carefully to help ensure their survival upon release. Proper handling methods can help ensure the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more about sh handling, visit https://myfwc.com/ shing/saltwater/ outreach/ sh-handling/.
For more information, visit myfwc.com/ shing/saltwater/recreational/snook/.
Hooking Giants In Ketchikan, Alaska BUCKET
By Capt. Lukas Brickweg
If you’ve ever dreamed about catching halibut and cod in the wilderness of Alaska - rod bent, line screaming, and majestic wildlife abound – now is the time to turn that dream into reality. Every season in Ketchikan, Alaska, May marks the kicko! to world-class halibut and Paci c cod shing, and we are ready to put you on the sh of a lifetime.
May Is Extraordinary!
May is a special month in Southeast Alaska. e long daylight hours return, the ocean comes alive, and the early-season halibut move onto nearshore waters to feed. Halibut gather on the underwater ledges, humps, and sandy $ats, areas that we know like the backs of our hands, ranging from 200-400 feet.
At the same time, hungry Paci c cod patrol the same bottom structure, adding an action-packed bonus to every trip. “Alaska cod shing chaos” is the best way to describe
this seasonal bite. ere are no limits on retaining Paci c cod, allowing anglers to bring home huge hauls of cod and halibut. is means you can o en pull up a mixed bag of halibut, cod, and rock sh - making for one of the most productive and delicious shing experiences anywhere in the world.
Reeling up cod and halibut until your arms give out is a good way to summarize Alaska bottom shing in May.
May trips tend to ll quickly because the reputation for aggressive sh and minimum shing pressure. is combination equates to an anglers dream scenario. Whether you’re $ying in for our three to four day allinclusive lodging/ shing packages or on a cruise, it’s best to start planning and booking early. Ketchikan provides convenient $ights, accommodating guests from all over the US. Our all-inclusive packages provide airport transfer, lodging, meals, shing and sh processing.
The Bottom Line ere’s shing, and then there’s Alaska shing. And when it comes to halibut and
cod, May in Ketchikan is as good as it gets. So give us a call to book your spot, and come experience the thrill of hooking giants where every trip is a story worth telling.
Book your "Bucket List" trip to Alaska with Capt. Lukas Brickweg, of Ketchikan’s Finest Fishing Charters, at ketchikan shingtrips.com, call (907) 617-4717 or email ketchikan shingtrips@gmail.com.
CAPACITY: Four Adults or 800 pounds (reduce by accessories and gear) Rear sun deck with retractable ladder for boarding in deep water. Two passengers face forward and two face backward. The front passengers pedal.
BRAVING THE COLD FOR BIG WINTER STRIPERS
By CAM Sta
Whether in saltwater or freshwater, excellent striper shing awaits anglers hearty enough to brave winter conditions. So layer up, zip into that parka, and go—some of the biggest sh of the year are feeding right now.
At the southern end of their fall migration, striped bass spend the winter o! the coast of North Carolina. ey follow schools of bait up and down the shoreline from Wilmington to the Outer Banks, feeding heavily along the way. In many years, Oregon Inlet becomes the epicenter of the action, though stripers can be found in most inlets throughout the region.
e key is to follow the birds, which o en reveal bass blowing up on menhaden, glass minnows, or eels. At times the action pushes close enough to shore that surfcasters can hook stripers right from the beaches of the Outer Banks. More o en, however, the best approach is hiring a local captain armed with recent intel and a fast boat.
Farther south, Wilmington provides another winter opportunity as striped bass stack up in the Cape Fear River. ese sh hold near structure, dropo!s, and creek mouths, and can be caught on arti cials—or even on $ies. is resident population is separate from the highly migratory sh wintering o! the Outer Banks. Cape Fear stripers are strictly catch-and-release and must be returned to the water immediately, so keep an eye out for tagged sh.
Meanwhile, freshwater reservoirs across the Southern states and into the Mid-Atlantic also produce solid winter striper shing. While smaller, schoolie-sized sh can become sluggish during the coldest periods, larger stripers continue to feed. e pace may not match summertime downline action over massive schools, but the sh that do bite are o en bigger.
Tactics vary by shery, but when water temperatures stabilize—or during a multi-day warming trend—the largest sh in the lake o en push shallow, sometimes surprisingly so, as they shadow schools of small shad. Find the $ickering bait, and you’ll nd the stripers. You may even see them picking o! prey near the surface. Stealth is critical in these situations, and so plastics like Flukes frequently outproduce live bait. ey’re easier to cast and allow for a slow, controlled retrieve.
Another e!ective approach is covering water by trolling wide spreads of small live baits, pulling umbrella rigs loaded with swimbaits, or combining both methods. When shing this way, good local information is invaluable. On some lakes, stripers spend the winter near the dam; on others, they push far up into the creeks.
Winter may test an angler’s resolve, but for those willing to endure the cold, striper shing can be at its best. From coastal inlets and rivers to inland reservoirs, striped bass remain active and accessible, o en with less pressure and a better chance at trophy-sized sh. Success comes down to preparation, paying attention to bait and bird activity, and adapting tactics to changing conditions. Bundle up, do your homework, and embrace the season—the reward could be the biggest striper of your year.
OVER 100 ANGLERS TO COMPETE IN 2026 BASSMASTER ELITE SERIES
Coming o! the heels of a record-breaking 2025 season that awarded 11 century belts, saw four- rst time champions (two of which were members of the 2025 rookie class) and garnered over 183 million social media impressions, B.A.S.S. has announced the 101-angler eld for an exciting 2026 Elite Series season.
is year, anglers will be put to the test with the use of forward-facing sonar only being allowed at ve of the nine regular-season Elite events. Anglers will be competing for a $100,000 rst-place prize at each stop of the season, while also accumulating valuable Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points in hopes of making it to the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
“Each season, the Bassmaster Elite Series showcases the very best in professional bass shing, and 2026 will be no exception,” said B.A.S.S. Elite Series Tournament Director Lisa Talmadge. “We’re excited to welcome 101 incredibly talented anglers who represent the heart of this sport—a mix of proven champions, rising stars and hungry newcomers all ready to compete on some of the most iconic sheries in the country. It’s going to be an unforgettable season for our anglers and fans alike.”
With the exception of one angler, every 2025 Elite Series angler who quali ed is returning next year. e list of anglers includes 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic champion Easton Fothergill of Grand Rapids, Minn., who won the most coveted trophy in bass shing during his freshman season on the Elites. Two-time Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year Chris Johnston will also join the ranks of returning anglers alongside Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Tucker Smith, who took home his rst blue trophy at the 2025 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a 127-pound, 8-ounce winning weight that also earned him a century belt.
Ten anglers from the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Quali ers will also be joining the 2026 Elite roster, including 20-year-old Alabama phenom Fisher Anaya who claimed the 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Quali ers Angler of the Year title. Wisconsin’s Nick Trim clinched an Elite Series spot for himself alongside his big win at the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance. e 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series kicks o! on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville February 5. From there the tournament trail will wind through six states as anglers battle for cash prizes and attempt to qualify for the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Each tournament will begin with the full eld of anglers on Days 1 and 2 before the eld is cut to the Top 50 on Semi nal Saturday. Only the Top 10 anglers will sh the nal day of the event, with a $100,000 rstplace prize and a blue trophy on the line. For the complete roster, and to keep up with all the action from the 2026 Elite Series season visit Bassmaster.com.
February Cold Water Offshore: Wahoo
This is the time of year to nd the wall of warmer water and get the wahoo bite going. All of the water nearshore is cold and where the 68- plusdegree water meets that cold water can be an excellent spot for targeting wahoo. is is a great time of year to target wahoo during the rst hour or two of your trip using high speed trolling. You can cover a lot of ground high speed trolling, which speci cally targets wahoo. Once the sun has been up for a few hours your chances at a wahoo bite diminish unless it’s an overcast or rainy day. Wahoo regulate the amount of sun they take in by going deeper as the sun rises, so midmorning is a good time to change tactics.
Slow dri s, kite shing and jigging the column with live baits is a great mid-morning tactic and the bigger the bait the better. ere’s no telling what you’ll raise during these colder days shing the temperature change. Never count out deep dropping near these temperature change areas either. Fishing the entire water column from the surface to the bottom turns a cold day into a cooler full of sh and some awesome dinners.
Meet the Beauty in the Beast
Discover this spectacular 6½-carat green treasure from Mount St. Helens!
For almost a hundred years it lay dormant. Silently building strength. At 10,000 feet high, it was truly a sleeping giant. Until May 18, 1980, when the beast awoke with violent force and revealed its greatest secret. Mount St. Helens erupted, sending up a 80,000-foot column of ash and smoke. From that chaos, something beautiful emerged… our spectacular Helenite Necklace
Helenite is produced from the heated volcanic rock of Mount St. Helens and the brilliant green creation has captured the eye of jewelry designers worldwide. Today you can wear this massive 6!-carat stunner for only $99!
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Make your emeralds jealous. Our Helenite Necklace puts the green stone center stage, with a faceted pearcut set in .925 sterling silver finished in luxurious gold. The explosive origins of the stone are echoed in the flashes of light that radiate as the piece swings gracefully from its 18" luxurious gold-finished sterling silver chain. Today the volcano sits quiet, but this unique piece of American natural history continues to erupt with gorgeous green fire. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. Bring home the Helenite Necklace and see for yourself. If you are not completely blown away by the rare beauty of this exceptional stone, simply return the necklace within 30 days for a full refund of your purchase price.
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Necklace enlarged to show luxurious
