Looks like the cold weather is behind us as the forecast calls for low 80’s for the next week! We’re still in the winter fishing mode which means I’m fishing open water for trout, pompano and the other not target species that show up as well as fishing shoreline for snook, reds and big jacks. We’re also catching a lot of big sheepshead and some nice snapper. This all means we’re having good action with lots of species.
The water has cleared off the beaches which means it’s easier to get bait and gives me more options to catch different varieties and bigger fish. Bigger snook will start to show in some of the bays adjacent to the passes. I feel these fishing are staging, before they head to the passes in late spring and early summer. We always latch into some huge snook in March and it always amazes me how shallow the water is where we catch them.
March is also the month big tarpon and sharks show up in the backcountry. I’ve found when the water temp hits 73 they show up. I used to think these spring backcountry tarpon migrated to points south during the winter but I’ve found that they just go dormant and show when the water heats up. Example, late last December we had a week long warm spell with the air temp over 80 and the water reached 74. I looked at all my backcountry tarpon spots and they all had fish. The backcountry sharks are great fun. Mostly bulls but we also catch lemons, black tips and nurse sharks. Average size is 5-6′ which is not so big you have to fight it all days but still a great fight.
Going forward as March progresses the fishing just gets better and even better in April. Let’s go.
Capt. Mark
