By: Capt. Dave Stephens
Without a doubt, May is probably one of my favorite months to fish Charlotte Harbor. Our fishery is at its peak for spring fishing. Every species that is catch-able is swimming in the harbor this time of the year. One of the species at the top of most anglers list will be snook as these fish will be moving to areas to spawn. Look for schools of fish in areas with sandy bottoms and moving current. The bars with sandy and oyster bottoms will hold good numbers of fish and the outer islands will start loading up. Live bait is the bait of choice, but many different artificial’s work well also. Tarpon are another top targeted fish this time of year as everyone knows Boca Grande Pass will be at the center of tarpon anglers’ destinations. The beaches will be holding good numbers of pods to toss a crab into and the deeper holes in the harbor will have some fish cruising around in them. Getting out early is the key to locating fish, look for tarpon rolling on the surface. Trout fishing should also start to pick up on the local flats and bars. Look for a marble bottom, a mix of grass with sand holes. For the anglers that want some fish for dinner? The mangrove snapper are moving in and deeper point and mangrove shorelines will be holding good numbers. These fish have really good eyesight so you might need to downsize your leader, and I do recommend fluorocarbon. The hardest part about May is deciding what to fish for, so you may want to plan multiple days out.