Spring Bite!

As we continue to deal with heavy winds, it does seem like we are having slightly less of it. And the winds have taken on that easterly direction, which allows the water clarity to get a little better. Some areas have become crystal clear! But, as I have mentioned numeroustimes, without our natural grasses on the flats, the winds sure do stir things up easily. Hopefully, one day our National Park representatives will take notice of this and act on it. They sure can spend a fortune on infrastructure while neglecting the health of these things. It's a shame. 

Now, about the fishing! We are still catching lots of Seatrout and even some very nice fish up to 24". These fish remain cooperative and should remain this way until the water gets hot enough to push them out into deeper waters. I still prefer a popping cork with a 1/2oz. DOA glow shrimp underneath. How deep you rig it depends on water depth. These are durable baits, and while using them, if you miss a bite, just stop reeling and the fish will come right back for it. Or there will be another fish that was following and will now eat your bait. There are almost always multiple fish going after the same bait when Trout fishing.  

Redfish are biting a little better again. Popping corks with live shrimp are hard to beat for these guys. Or a jig tipped with shrimp worked at a slow speed just along the bottom. Catch these fish on the rising tide before it gets too high and they go back into the mangrove roots to forage for food. Once the tide floods high, it gets really hard to catch the Reds. 

Snook fishing continues to be good in the back country and should start picking up in the Islands real soon! Normally by now we are catching the big Snook inshore at this time of year. Maybe we need a little rain to get them going. I look forward to when this happens so we can catch some big Snook on topwater lures early in the morning. This is my favorite way to catch them. There are some great topwater lures out but my two favorites are the Zara Spook and the Yozuri Top Knock. Getting that big hit on the topwater is just special. 

Tarpon are still plentiful and are spread out all along the Islands. These fish are all sizes right now. We have seen them over 120 lbs. on down to some 10 lbs. fish in the rivers. Soft plastics have been my choice these last few years and produce plenty of action when the fish are feeding.  

 Besides these fish we have been seeing a few large schools of Black Drum up to 30 lbs. and have even seen a few schools of Permit starting to show up inshore. If the winds would lay down some more, it sure would help with these guys! The fishing all around should continue to get better and better. Baits are moving inshore on the incoming tides, and the fish will follow. Get out and enjoy the spring bite! And enjoy the last of the cool winds and cool mornings, and good luck fishing!