Tag Archives: Florida stripers

February Fly-fishing Blog

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First and foremost, I am giving a presentation to the Malden Anglers, a fly-fishing club, on March 7th. I will be talking about tactics and fly patterns for pressured (educated) fish with videos and photos. Even if you aren’t a member, I am sure they will welcome you. The address is 227 Main Street, Saugus  MA  01906. I will be presenting at 720. For more info contact Kalil at
downrivercharters@comcast.net

The Maine February 2023 weather was all over the place. Cold and snow was followed by days that seemed like late March or early April with temps in the 50s to near 60. Snow quickly melted and pond edges with southern exposures lost their ice. Ice fishing derbies were canceled, and we resorted to planks to bridge the gaps to more solid ice. I am sure that the northern half of Maine still had plenty of ice.

Early February was cold with thickening ice.
In mid -February, it looked like an early end to ice fishing season.
In north Florida, spring had sprung with Azaleas blooming everywhere.

My wife, Lindsey, and I escaped to warmer climes in northern Florida and the Georgia mountains. I fished for stripers and bass at a Florida tailwater.

I don’t usually think largemouth bass in dam tailwaters, but in Florida they are here.
This is the most obese striper I have ever caught. It was gorging on spawning gizzard shad. on the Ochlockonee

We then traveled to Helen, Georgia to hike streamside trails thick with rhododendron. We caught hand-sized rainbows and had a blast. Check out the following YouTube link for a video to get a sense of what it was like.

https://youtu.be/p8pZdQScYVk

‘Till next time – pray for spring!