Capt. Billy Norris
Fishing this past month has been excellent! The red tide has completely cleared up and the pelagic fish have returned! As we continue to move into the spring, fishing should just get better and better. The water temperature has started to rise and is currently in the upper 70s. Get ready to start seeing our spring time fishing patterns as we transition out of winter.
Backwater: The backwaters have held tons of fish that are readily taking baits. The snook bite has been fantastic! If you can fill the live well with pilchards or threadfins, you will have a stellar day! 20 fish days have not been uncommon, with some slot and over slot fish mixed in. In addition, the redfish bite has been equally as good. The closures over the last couple years have definitely helped to increase the population numbers. There has also been a plentiful amount of trout around. Target them on the flats and drop offs for best results. Mixed in with the trout, we’ve also been catching some great pompano. Although snook, reds, and trout are close, Pompano remain open and make for great table fare.
Nearshore: The nearshore bite has been on fire! Now that the red tide is gone, the pelagics have shown back up. We have been doing very well on king fish, little tunny, and cobia. The large schools of bait that were present nearshore Prior to the red tide have also returned. If you’re looking for steady action, the bait schools have tons of Spanish mackerel, jacks and more surrounding them. To find the schools of bait, just look for the birds.
Tarpon: As we approach the spring, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the big schools of Tarpon. Typically, they show up sometime in April, however with the warmer weather it’s not unthinkable to suspect they may show up a little early this year. Pale Horse Will be fishing tarpon in Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys mid-April through May. When target in tarpon, you have several options. Tarpon or one of those fish they can be extremely picky with what they want to eat so it’s important that you get dialed in ahead of time. Go to choices of bait for tarpon are either large thread fins or crabs. Make sure you were also adequately prepared with the proper size equipment as tarpon can put even 6000 level reels to the test. Fishing was great this past month and should only get better as we approach the spring! To book a trip, call Captain Billy at Pale Horse Fishing Charters, (239) 285–7710 today!
