As spring approaches, the magnificent blooms of the azaleas and camellias, combined with the sweet fragrance of orange blossoms carried across the water, are all signs of spring’s arrival and the excellent fishing March brings to the east central coast of Florida.
When the ocean begins its warming phase, 67 to 68 degrees, watch for the progression of baits schools (Atlantic menhaden and silver mullet) from warmer waters into the near-shore waters bringing the cobia and other predators with them. The warmer waters also draw manta rays into the shallows shadowed by pods of cobia. Other notable species are tripletail around the buoys and under flotsam, heavy weight jack crevale, large redfish, and sharks shadowing bait schools.
On the lagoon, rising water levels will draw the slot size redfish schools up onto the shallow flats, with the larger breeder schools holding along the deeper edges and sand bars. On the cooler days, focus your attention on sand pockets or potholes, and once the afternoon sun warms the water, look for tailing fish on the shallow flats. Also, April signals the return of silver mullet to the estuary and the beginning of early morning top water sea trout and redfish action near the end of the month.
On the freshwater side, look for schooling bass and the resurgence of sunshine bass feeding heavily on schools of small shad at first light in the bends of the St Johns River and the mouths of the big lakes. Remember to match the hatch by fishing artificial baits that mimic small menhaden shad.
