by Captain Terry Fisher
This is the time of the year that I look forward to knowing that I will not be disappointed with productivity. Yes, there may be times in the month that one does not have good days, but over all and for all practical purposes, it is the beginning of spring and ‘Spring Fever’! Snook strikes will be ferocious after a ‘long winter’s nap’. Other species will become more aggressive with an abundance of baitfish, offering a smorgasbord for all. Tarpon may begin to make their annual migration to SW Florida waters, accompanied by numerous sharks. It is all about the water temperature. A consistent sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit will surely guarantee at least some sizeable numbers of tarpon off of the beaches, in the passes and up the rivers.
Sheepshead should still be available. They got a late start this year in due to the higher than normal water temperatures and I suppose poor water quality from time to time over the last couple of years. However, the water is much cleaner and the fishing has been really good for most all species over the past several months.
Moreover, Spanish mackerel, large Jack Crevalle, ladyfish and pompano will become ‘happy’ and hungry, eating everything in their paths. Large seatrout will become more numerous in the grass flats of open water. This is the month to experiement with artificial baits for the game fish. The abundance of live baitfish helps disguise these presentations. Springtime bites are more frequent and aggressive. Fish seem less cautious coming out of their winter haunts, with a new ‘outlook on life’. Effective lures to use are top water, twitch, crank, swim baits, spoons and weedless presentations. They all work. Saltwater lures are really no different that those used for bass and other freshwater species. Unfortunately, there is more water when it comes to saltwater fishing and more variances in holding areas than those in lakes and ponds. The challenge is to find where the fish are likely to ‘hold’. You find them and they will strike!
Artificial presentations will be effective on tarpon, snook, seatrout, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, pompano alike but I believe more fish will be caught on natural baits. Nonetheless, some anglers prefer the challenge to target and succeed using artificial. The use of live bait has the tendency to give anglers the edge. I recommend certain types of live/cut baits as follows:
SNOOK: free-line pilchards. Large snook will take threadfins as well. Pinfish and large shrimp will be good ‘back up’ baits.
TARPON: free-line large, live threadfins, pinfish, mullet and ladyfish. Dead bait- catfish fillets.
SEATROUT: shrimp suspended on a weighted jig head under a cork over the grass flats. Larger trout prefer pinfish (alive or cut) under a cork or free-lined along the spoil and mangrove islands.
SPANISH MACKEREL: shrimp is a cheap and easy way to target these fish. Suspend them under a cork with a long 30lb. leader or light wire.
POMPANO: tip a ‘silly willy’ jig with a shrimp or fish shrimp under a cork for an occasional by-catch. These fish are easy to catch. The challenge is to find them. Look for them just off the beaches of Sanibel, N. Captiva and Cayo Costa.
JACK CREVALLE: shrimp on a jig head, free-lined anyway will catch these ferocious fish. Fish them when they are in a feeding frenzy at the waters surface. The larger fish will most likely be found in the canals off of the rivers and creeks.
Light tackle should always be used for the enjoyment of the catch. However, be sure the equipment is strong enough so as not to exhaust the fish to where it cannot be revived. I suggest for game fish like snook or redfish that one use a 3500 to 4000 series reel or equivalent thereof, mounted on a medium heavy rod (10-20lb. butt strength) with 15lb. test line and a 30lb. fluorocarbon leader. Size 1/0 to 3/0 circle hooks. Tarpon fishermen should utilize equivalent of 6000 series reels mounted on a heavy rod (30 to 50lb. butt strength) with 65lb. test line and 100lb. fluorocarbon leader, size 6/0-8/0 circle hooks. One should consider even lighter tackle for all other inshore species mentioned above, as well as for mangrove snappers and flounder. 2500 to 3000 series spinning reels on light rod (8-17 butt strength), 10lb. line test with 20lb. leader and small 1/0 circle hooks.
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters hoping that this will help all anglers when targeting a specific species. I am easily reached at 239-357-6829 or email me at fishfacecharters@yahoo.com for charter information or booking. I am available as ‘Captain for Hire’ by the hour on your vessel for navigation, fishing locations, and techniques that will insure hours of enjoyable boating and fishing.