Grab your hats, coats and gloves as Frosty is on his way for the weekend, so today may be your last chance to enjoy our after Christmas, late summer-like, still warm waters, mid-80s weather pattern.

Forced to work on today, but still need a last minute before bad weather bite? Get tough and get out there tonight and score a monster snook under the Matlacha, Cape Coral or Midpoint bridge.

A large live shrimp, hooked on a jighead properly so it stays alive and kicking, cast up current of the Matlacha Bridge and slowly hopped back along the bottom with the tide could put a long-as-your-leg snook on your hook. Free lining a 12-inch mullet or ladyfish could also bring the same result.

This is serious fishing and no place for wimpy lines and lite leaders as you will always be broken off and possibly kill a large breeder snook needlessly. Typical bottom around most big structure is snag city so think 60-pound braid main line and 60 to 80-pound test leaders

The Cape’s miles of wind protected canals and hundreds of lit docks are a nighttime winter snook hangout. Cast small lures or flies to the outside edge of the light shadow or put a big live bait fish or jumbo shrimp down deep in the shadows for the big one.

If you’re not a caster, another killer winter night tactic for big snook is slow trolling. Pick a lure that runs straight and true, pick a route and go to work. If you’re working a canal system, use a two-lure approach with one shallow diving bait running close to the wall and rip-rap, the other deep-diving lure running near bottom. Various Rapala’s and Bomber style lures are good choices.

On the way past docks or other ambush points, “ticking” or brushing the dock structure with your shallow lure will often trip the trigger of a reluctant trophy.

If none of this turns you on and you like dropping down baits for something big on fairly light tackle, there are still big black drum in the 20 to 50-pound class that will eat a half blue crab day or night if your parked next to a local bridge piling.

Depending on current, I’ll usually thread a 1/2 oz. sliding sinker on my line then tie on a swivel to capture it. Add a 24-inch 40 to 60-pound leader, a 4/0 5/0 circle hook, your crab and drop it down. It won’t take long for a drum to find it.

Not big enough? I have your cure.

If you have the will, drop down a small ray, jack or mullet and it shouldn’t take long for goliath the bridge monster to pit his 400 pounds against your 300-pound test line, rod and spine.

Well, that was quite a Friday night!

Next week is forecasted to be in the 60s so things will slow down as should your inshore retrieve. Clear cool water calls for lighter lines, lighter leaders and smaller lures.

Winds may keep the offshore fleet from its grouper and snapper catches on off and nearshore reefs.

The cold should turn on the inshore sheepshead bite and seatrout fishing should remain as good as it is right now.

Some folks have been struggling with these low tides and slow tide days. Learn and understand your tide chart. As a simplified example, if it states the tide will drop from 1.5 feet to .3 feet over the next 6 hours, go fishing. If it will drop from 1.5 to only 1.2 over the next 6 hours, stay home. Works the same way with rising tides. Moving water (in or out) moves bait which stimulates predators to feed.

Please contact us for info on 1-4 person fishing/boating or for our two hour, all-inclusive, beginners, saltwater fly fishing course.

Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. Contact him at 239-282-9434 or captgeorget3@aol.com.