As March arrives, the first signs of spring begin to show. The gulf water temperature is slowly rising and the transition from winter to spring is taking place. More and more bait fish are showing each day and the arrival of the Pelagics should be here for the later part of the month. The most popular the Pelagic species for Citrus County will be the Spanish Mackerel. The Spanish macks are a welcomed sight, not only for their table fare, but their drag screaming runs that make them so enjoyable. They can be seen from great distances hoarding bait schools, and sometimes, even the birds can lead you
to the fish.
Here are a few different methods on how to target a big mack. Anchoring over any hard bottom area and hanging a chum bag over the boat will draw them right into casting range. Give the chum plenty of time to cause a “slick” and free line a live shrimp on a #2 long shank hook with 30lb fluorocarbon leader to get a hook up. The long shank hook acts as a small piece of wire to cut down on the “cut offs” which mackerel are notorious for. Casting artificials, such as small silver spoons, Gotcha plugs, and D.O.A. glow cal shad tail jigs retrieved quickly, will also keep the rod bent.
Hefty trout come to mind when thinking of spring. This time of year, that big gator trout you’ve wanted to catch becomes a real possibility. Shallow rocky bottom, spoil islands, oyster bars and near shore rock piles will be holding good concentrations of trout. For you topwater fans, now is the perfect time to target trout with a walk the dog type plug. Lures such as the Yo-Zuri hydro pencil, Rapala skitterwalk and the MirrOLure top dog are excellent choices. Soft plastic jerk baits and jigs, especially in the glow color as well as jig and cork rigs, like the DOA deadly combos will be very productive. Keep in mind, the trout are still spawning. Therefore, it’s always best to release the large females.
Our ever popular redfish are becoming more active and dropping out of the deep back country creeks and rivers. To locate the fish, I suggest putting down the trolling motor or poling the shorelines to cover as much water as possible. The gold spoon is a perfect prospecting lure for our area—it’s relatively weedless, it casts a mile, and the redfish love it. Add a split ring and a small barrel swivel to the eye of the spoon to eliminate line twist. The bait stealers are not here in big numbers yet, and if you locate some red fish, anchor up and hook a live shrimp for bait.
For another tasty treat, the black sea bass are on the move inshore and are filling up on the near shore rock piles and ledges. Black sea bass are very aggressive and are generally not picky when it comes time to eat. A live shrimp on a knocker rig will usually get the job done and there’s still some sheepshead around as an added bonus while on the rocks.
As always, if you have any additional questions about the area, feel free to contact me. Good Fishing. Please call (352) 418-2160 for reservations and directions. You can also email me at “mailto:captaindan@racinmulletcharters.com
Capt Dan Clymer