The opportunity is always great. The water temperatures are right. The baitfish is returning after a wintertime absence. Get into it before the dog days of summer arrive. Spring means “just about everything” is here. That includes king mackerel and maybe even some cobia.
Springtime fishing:
- Find the baitfish. No question, if you aren’t where the bait is, you could be in the wrong place.
- Go early? The best option. Shift to sunrise or pre-dawn trips.
- Go late? Evening, toward sundown can also be good.
- Midday? An opportunity still exists midday but will disappear when summer arrives. Best to go early or go late.
- Moon phases and tides: No question, pick the good tides and concentrate on the new and full moons. Your species: Trout and flounder don’t seem to care. But a lot of the other species, they want moving water.
Snook:
Simply not large and not an option like they were ten years ago. Snook remain one of the biggest gaps in the Florida fishing community. Perhaps in another five years things will be different.
Redfish
Redfish are also unfortunately challenged. Perhaps in five years, things will be different.
“Closed” for a while now, I’m seeing more redfish than I have in seven years, which is a good thing.
But for the ones that are there: Feeding will occur into the middle hours of the day if the tides are good. April ends: Concentrate your efforts before 10:30AM
Water depth
Finding redfish: Mudpuffs and spooking mullet indicate that you are into redfish. As spring wears on: Against the trees or within ten yards of the trees on rising tides. Lower tides, fish the areas that have the water and grass bottom.
Speckled trout: Also “closed”, Still excellent action, but will slow down as May wears on and the waters warm. Biggest trout will be in 2.5 feet of water on the sand patches surrounded by grass (Long cast theme, those who get their lures farther from them will catch the most fish)
The SlamR “Slam”- Best results for trout, use a five or six inch SlamR. Move it slow. Catch the fish.
5” lure versus the 3” lure: The 3 inch lure is your redfish bait. Use the Mullet for redfish and the SlamR for pretty much everything else. The secret weapon bait is the Buzz Tail Shad. Add vibration to the equation, catch fish that won’t eat other baits.
Flounder add to the action.
Every spring they usually arrive, usually with the return of the baitfish. Some years it’s later. Year to year, you just never know. Several down years for flounder, my hopes are that this fishery gets really good again. Flounder are different. Ambush feeders, they are difficult to hook. Very good to eat, I don’t keep a flounder unless it is 14 or 15 inches long. I think a 12 and 13 inch flounder is wasting a fish. Let them go. Let them grown.
The SlamR, bumped slow on the bottom is the way to go. When you think you are going slow enough, slow it down even more.
The return of the pompano:
No question, a big thing for me this time of year: Back to pompano fishing. They are right up there with my favorite to catch and they are at the top of the list as far as a fish that could come home for dinner. More and more, I like to release fish. Due to added pressures, I let more fish go than every before. With pompano, so underutilized, I don’t feel as bad about keeping them.
New to pompano? I’ll help you along. Buy Silly Willy Jigs from Captain Joe. Buy my teasers either from them or from me. This combination of jig and teaser is the easiest way to catch pompano. Yellow jig, pink teaser. $1 a teaser. $.75 a teaser if you buy 100 of them. Cheaper than you will find in stores, my teasers are just better. They way they’re built: They last. Send an email to Livelybaits@aol.com
With all the species closures: Pompano and Flounder are you two best bets for bringing dinner home.
The rest:
Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, jacks: They’re all out there. Ladyfish and jacks are for the sport only. Spanish mackerel: Two hours in the smoker and they make a great fish spread. Their numbers have sustained good and they are not in any danger. All of these species are upper water column. That means, get your lures moving and move them faster than you do for the other fish. Success with these ones: Follow the hovering birds.
Neil Taylor is the owner of capmel.com and the author of “Kayak Fishing” , “Fishing Tampa Bay”, “I Thought It Was Funny” and The Professional Baseball Umpire.
727-692-6345
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