[dropcap]A[/dropcap]pril has been great, so far, in spite of the fronts passing through and while the trout have been moving around a bunch we have had great trips on board One More Cast. Several trips have yielded 15 trout weighing over 30 pounds with three trout over 4 pounds caught already (today is April 15th). We have begun using live pinfish under Back Bays but still continue to take large trout on shrimp as well, especially in the darker water to the north.
May will find the trout staging to spawn and the larger sow females will concentrate their efforts in 4 feet of water. Catch a calm day and you can actually see the slicks formed when the males are swarming around the females apparently showing aggressive behavior competing for her attention or for proximity to her. The spawn itself, so they tell me, occurs at night but you might need to be a trout to affirm that? Anyway, staying in or around 4 feet of water is the key to success in May. Fish with live bait, plastics or synthetics rigged 18” – 32” under a Cajun or Back Bay Thunder this month for best results.
Our rainfall amounts are ridiculous of late and with all that rain the usual shallower water angling, specifically plugging has been off this year due to the too-fresh & dark water color. May could have some relief in that dept. But if not, move out to 4 – 5 feet and give it a try. They might surprise you.
We took a limit of 20 trout from 6.5 – 7.5 feet of water already on 4/13/14 so don’t forsake even deeper water for trout just now coming out of their long winter’s nap hungry to eat shrimp and load up on that protein before moving in to spawn. Bounce Assassin baits like Orange/Glow, Cantaloupe and Orange/Gold Shiner patterns in May. I like a 1/8 oz. Assassin Jighead in Chartreuse when I bounce their Sea Shads or 5” Shads. I use TrikFish x-rated Co-Polymer on my jigging rods for great feel, smaller diameter and tough abrasive resistance unmatched in regular monofilament.
Cobia have just started to show up and despite we haven’t seen one yet on my boat several folks have and I know of one which was caught this week. We used to say three weeks after the Mackerel show up so goes the cobia. Well the Ling are right on time! Keep a heavier outfit at the ready and try a legal size black sea bass for early season Cobes. Oh, a small blue crab might just get your arm broke also.
Spanish have been coming in everywhere north, south, shallow, deep and hitting anything you toss at them. Me? I prefer a ClarkSpoon in # 0 or # 00 size either cast or trolled will work.
Meanwhile give me a call — Let’s Go Fishing!