How To Fish Shallow Backwater Creeks [Real Time Example from St. Petersburg, FL]

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Fishing Shallow Backwater Creeks

One of my favorite ways to target redfish, snook, and seatrout is by fishing shallow backwater creeks during the winter months via kayak or paddle board.

This type of fishing is what I believe is the perfect combination of an exploration adventure and fishing fun because many of these creeks have very little human contact so you just never know what animals you’ll see out there.

I’ve come across hogs wading out in the water, an endless variety of birds, and all sorts of marine wildlife.

Best of all, the fishing can be surprisingly good in many of these backwater creeks too.

Even in creeks that get super narrow like this:

backcountry fishing for redfish

But even on the creeks without much fish, the adventure aspect of the trip takes the lead in ensuring that the trip is still a fun time.

Here’s one such trip that was an absolute blast even though the creek system that I was exploring did not hold many fish and I faced a series of navigational setbacks.

Note: At the end, I’ll explain 3 important things you need to do if you plan to fish shallow backwater creeks.

Creek Fishing Report From St. Petersburg, FL

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Equipment Used This Trip

Here’s a list of the equipment that I was using this trip in case interested:

Conclusion

Fishing shallow backwater creeks via kayak or paddle board can be an absolute blast.

But you must make sure to take proper precautions when going on these types of trips because there is an added element of danger given that you’re going off the beaten path into areas where there is little outside help in case something goes wrong.

Be sure to take the following safety precautions above just having the typical safety equipment:

  1. Tell family members and friends where you will be going and how long you plan to be there
  2. Bring a fully charged cell phone and keep it protected from water exposure
  3. Spend time in the pre-trip planning phase to make sure you know the routes and print out maps for any complex creek systems

Note: If you’re new to kayaking or paddle boarding, I do not recommend going on these types of trips… get plenty of practice in more open areas before pushing back into any remote creek systems.

Here are links to some other fun creek and hidden lake trips in case you’d like to see more:

The “Hidden Lake” Fishing Trip [Exploration Fishing]

Catching Snook & Redfish In Hidden Lake

How To Catch Snook & Redfish In The Winter

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Craig heckman
1 year ago

Like all of your lure’s caught some fish then it got cold have tried John’s pass but got skunked

tom russell
5 years ago

Luke, thanks for the interesting post. I am just setting up my L2fish, and have a question: are you fishing without the fins on the bottom?

Dan Kelly
5 years ago

Congratulations on an honest report. Most things you see from other sources are “perfect trips” where there are no mistakes, fish on every cast, perfect boat positioning, etc. You guys show it the way it really is, the way most of us fish, a mistake here and there, a funny situation. Keep up the good work!!!

Tom Widman
5 years ago

Luke
You had me chuckling through this video. I’ve been there so many times with not much going right for me. I always have a charged cell when I go out as well as a compact cell phone battery pack that I can rely on so I always have connectivity. They are about the size of a 1/2 can of sardines. You do need the correct cable for your phone to get recharged. They hold a charge for quite awhile so you can keep it with your tackle for several weeks.

Eric Bardes
5 years ago

Hey Luke. Try installing the Navionics app on your phone. Using this you can leave a track on your screen and you can always find your way home!

Frank Bray
5 years ago

Enjoyed real world presentation. Great teaching tool.

Samuel Borgert
5 years ago

Nice adventure with great reminders for exploring! I appreciate you sharing the mistakes as well…..nice to know I am not the only one.

Richard Fiorentino
5 years ago

Nice video. Hey Luke- have you ever tried Sufix 832 braid?

Anonymous
5 years ago

Great job Luke,
Good to see some kayak, paddle Board, exploring.
????

Ted Springer
5 years ago

Great video, Luke! I love exploring new areas like this and your video does a great job of reinforcing how important it is to take the proper precautions in a way not possible by just talking about safety.

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