February is a great time to get out on the water and do some scouting. Right now we see our lowest tides of the year, and they’re usually being pushed by northern winds that help exaggerate the tides. On top of that, our water clarity this time of year is great, which will help you see what’s under the water — specifically, deeper holes and sandbars.

I like to use this opportunity to find new deep-water holes. These areas are not only great places to fish in the winter, but can also produce year round. I like to sneak around the little islands on the east side of the Harbor and find narrow passageways between them. These passages, which I call bottlenecks, usually provide two things important to winter fishing success: Deep water and current.