Foggy Bottom Fishing

There’s nothing like a change in weather conditions to wreck a perfectly good fishing plan, and that’s exactly what Capt. Justin Leake and his cousin encounter when December turns unseasonably warm.

It’s a grey morning with thick fog so Justin and Capt. Brent Berry won’t be heading offshore right away as planned. Instead, Justin turns to his Humminbird CoastMaster charts to pinpoint a near shore artificial reef just five minutes from the St. Andrews Pass, where the anglers will do a little fishing until the fog burns off.

Capt. Leake opts to send a jig to the bottom and he’s not very picky about the one that gets tied on. “When fishing reefs, the specific jig doesn’t matter because it’s all about the presentation,” he says. “When you’re sitting on top of a wreck, break out the ‘junk jigs’ – they get bit just fine.”

And that proves to be the case as Justin and Brent enjoy non-stop battles against amberjack, red snapper and bonita. And with a bite this good, there’s no reason to go anywhere else!

Also, we take a look at the United States Coast Auxiliary’s new paddle craft safety initiative.