March Fishing

Here it is in the second half of February and I am thinking about March. The fishing is picking up and should continue to get even better in March. We just saw a few days of really warm weather and some calm winds. This allowed the water to clear up and made for some fun sight casting. We had schools of Black Drum become visible and also some really nice Permit moved in close. This is what we can look forward to in March. Of course, I know March can be a very windy month. But on those days when the winds are low, you can expect similar results.

The Tarpon will also continue to increase in numbers for those who are looking for them. We will see some really big fish this month and in pretty good numbers. March is a great month to target these big ones. If the winds kick up, you can look in the rivers and back bays as they will move in back there.

Snook fishing in March is always known as the transition month. The Snook start moving into the Islands in March. We get fish from offshore moving in, and we get fish moving out of the back country into the Islands. It is usually the first month you will catch Snook back in the Islands with any consistency. Of course, the back country will still hold plenty of Snook. But it's a great month to sneak out front on the incoming tide and cast to some good fish. If you're using artificials then try using jigs, as they will work great this month. Working that jig slow and steady along the bottom will get plenty of looks.

As you see, things will be heating up this March. Not only Snook and Tarpon, but those big Black Drum schools and Permit, too. Then on top of this, the biggest Mangrove Snapper of the year will be inshore. My daughter caught a 21.5" inshore Mangrove Snapper in March. We also caught lots of 16-18" fish. So, the variety will continue. It will be a little different but I think it will be better. The Sheepshead bite will slow down, but the others will more than make up for it.

With warmer temps and better tides, March will be a nice change. I know we occasionally get a late-season cold front in March, but I am looking forward to the warming trend. The biggest factor will be winds. But hopefully, we get enough calm days in between to see some really good fishing on the outside. Good Luck Fishing and enjoy the change of season!