Winter Fishing Trip in the South

[jhaner...@gmail.com]

Once a year my father and I try to take a trip down south to do some saltwater fishing.  He's not much of a fly fisherman so we usually look for a guide who brings both spinning and fly tackle.  I alternate between the two and he sticks with the spinning outfit.  We want to go somewhere down south this winter where we have not been before.  We have fished on the east coast of florida (ft. lauterdale), west coast (tampa), and did the keys this past summer.  Does anybody know of any good guides in some great winter (Dec-Jan) fisheries in the south for saltwater fish?  Was thinking there might be some good spots in the Alabama gulf or in Louisiana. 

Thanks,

Jason

[Yambag Nelson]

Look into the Laguna madre in south Texas. A busy and I did it in march a couple years ago and it was a great trip. An interesting variety of flats including some that were like Bahamas bonefish flats. I'm not sure how it fishes in January but it is prett far south so might be good. I am always leery of booking a trip in the states that time of year. It can work out great but you are always running a risk of a cold spell.

[Tom Somers]

Good call on the Laguna Madre. It is huge. I’ve been in cold and wind down there before, but if fishing is good you won’t notice. Port Mansfield.

[John Mathews]

I might suggest a trip to the Lowcountry of SC, the Beaufort area.  There are plenty of schooled up Reds and trout that time of year.  You may catch a day with little to no wind and 75 degree days.  I have comfortably wet waded on New Years eve here and January temps and weather are generally mild..  There are a host of good guides here in the area that can accommodate your fly and spin rod fishing in the same trip and are quite good at both.  Capt Jack Brown would be my first choice and then any of the guides out of Bay Street Outfitters.  If you're over in the Hilton Head Island area, Southern Drawl Outfitters can get that job done for you.