Captain Rich of Reel Rich Fishing Charters out of Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda,Florida reported another great week of fishing on Charlotte Harbor. While we had been enjoying more fall like conditions well in to our short “winter” season, inshore water temps have now dropped 10 degrees since our last report as back to back cold fronts have swept across Charlotte Harbor putting us into our more seasonable range. Speckled Sea Trout continue to be strong and we have adjusted to targeting them on the grass flats and inside edges where the suns rays warm the bottom. Shrimp under a float have been working well. Covering water with a 3” DOA cal swim shad on a 1/4oz jig head with a slow and low retrieve will help locate pods of fish. Redfish have been extremely good this week as well. We have been on a good aggregate of fish and we are absolutely seeing the benefits of the temporary closer by the FWC. It’s undoubtedly been one of the best years in many for this species. when we have the right tide and wind the action can be fast paced. The cool off has put us squarely into Sheepshead season and this hard fighting and delicious fish has been a steady visitor to our net all week. We have picked up some real tanks this year too with some fish pushing the 8 pound mark. A good hook makes all the difference when targeting Sheepshead and we love the Owner Mutu Light offset circle hook in the 1/0 size for these guys. Everyone has their favorite bait for sheep’s but for us we keep it pretty basic with shrimp. Spanish Mackerel,Pompano, Mangrove Snapper,Black Drum and Ladyfish continue to mix in with the action daily. March is right around the corner for us now and traditionally the official start of our spring season and one of our favorite times of the year. White bait should start pushing back in and the snook will start pulling out from their winter holes to greet them. Cobia will start showing on the bars and maybe even a few early season Tarpon will be targetable. One things for sure - it’s been a mild and strange winter here on Charlotte Harbor that has been filled with excellent fishing. At this point any prolonged warming trend will only make things more exciting If your interested in a fishing charter on Charlotte Harbor We have plenty of open dates available. Offering 4, 6 and 8 hour fishing charters and we are conveniently located to Punta Gorda, Fort Myers and Cape Coral Florida . We invite you to check out our trip offerings here on FishingBooker and book your Charlotte Harbor Fishing charter today. We depart daily from Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda,Florida.