Hello fellow anglers, January 2025. It's a new year and a great time to go fishing. This month near shore you should be able to find plenty of sheepshead around the edges of the near shore reefs.  Fishing for these guys you should use a 1/0 hook or something close to that with a piece of shrimp. And you could use a 20lb. leader if the water is really clear. This is the time of year that they move offshore to spawn. They also can be found near the pilings of any structure bridges or docks close to the Gulf. They will get thick on some of the natural ledges around the 50 ft. range. So I have a State of Florida for hire fishing license that allows me to go as far as 9 miles offshore so these are the areas that I am talking about. Also there is another species that like to travel in a similar way. The species is the flounder , they tend to migrate to the sandy areas close to the Gulf up and down the coast of S.W. Florida. They are less picky about what they eat they will eat frozen sardines and shrimp too. You can use a similar rig to harvest these guys 1/0 hook and 20 lb. leader you may use a fish finder rig or a knocker rig either works well. If you are fishing in shallow waters you could use a jig and a shrimp slow retrieve sliding along the bottom. The flounder are aggressive feeders and they do have a mouth full of teeth and if you have some smaller pinfish they will eat them too. Also another fish that would be found this time of year would be the hogfish. The hogfish are a bit more of a chore to find. They like the natural ledges in the 40 to 50 ft. range. And they only like to eat crustaceans , shrimp small crabs like fiddlers etc. They will eat small blue crabs too. I have witnessed them eating broken off legs from a spiny lobster while diving in the Keys. There is some good white meat on these guys that makes a great meal. And if you are looking for some fish for the table while you are looking in these areas there should be plenty of white grunts and lane snapper. Check the regulations remember I fish state waters for hire, only 9 miles offshore. So if you fish inshore there should be plenty of action too. Red fish along the mangroves and around the edges of the oyster bars scattered all along the S.W. Florida coast. They are not to picky they will eat dead stuff as well as live bait. And remember this time of year shrimp is naturally in the harbor and close to the beaches. And the shrimp this time of year are larger than in the summer. And fishing on the flats where there are grass beds you can find some nice sea trout they don't mind the cooler waters and like to hang out on the edges of the grass where they blend in. I have found that is a great ambush spot for the bigger trout. So if you are one of the new comers to our area I will come on your boat and help with your learning curve. I call these training sessions where I will help with where and how to rig your rods. And show you where you can drive your boat safely. This is where you and your best fishing buddy or your wife that you fish with. This way I can teach while we are fishing. So if you are interested in a Training Session give me a call Capt. Bart Marx 941-979-6517 or e-mail me at captbart@alphaomegachartes.com Ketch Em Up! And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{