By: Capt. Bart Marx
Southwest Florida had a record-breaking winter and The Gulf of America water temperature was below 50 degrees last month which puts a lot of stress on some of the fish species. North of our area there were reports of fish kills. One of the species that does not do well is our snook population. There may be some changes to the harvest of this species, therefore, it is important to keep your ears on the Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) to determine if they will make any rapid changes for snook fishing. During the month of March, we can look for some migratory species like the mackerel kings and Spanish mackerel, and on the near shore small ledges there should be sheepshead spawning in 30 to 50 foot of water. Around these areas where there is sand, you may find flounder on the sandy side of these ledges. Flounder will eat shrimp and you may even encounter a hogfish as they love crustations, small crabs and shrimp. There also should be plenty of white grunts and some porgies too. If you head out to 50 plus feet, lane snapper, yellow tails, and even a keeper red grouper are targets. Inshore there should be plenty of redfish along the edges of the mangroves and in the small tidal creeks. Trout will be scattered throughout the grass flats. They like to lay in the edges of the sand holes and wait for an unsuspecting bait to swim by and make it into a meal. I like to drift along the grass flats and cast an artificial shrimp with a cigar bobber to pop on the surface to get their attention. Trout are very good eating if you eat them fresh not frozen. If you would like to learn some of these techniques, Capt. Bart is available to go with you on your boat and show you where you can get safely without destroying the grass beds or your propeller! Call 941-979-6517 or e-mail me captbart@alphaomegacharters.com. Learning from an experienced fishing guide will help shorten your learning curve if you are new to the area!