Oh Boy!…the water temperature has hit 70 degrees! Now all our migratory fish will swim in to feast on the food sources that abound here. The sea trout and reds that have hung out up the river systems are moving out to the flats in big numbers.
Offshore, the kings will be roaming around structures like the OAR reefs and the many wrecks that dot the open Gulf. Waypoints for these can be found on nautical charts or on a GPS chart plotter.
Cobia roam the same structures so be ready to pitch a live bait or big jig to these bruisers. They often swim right up to the boat so be on the lookout for something that is brown and looks like a shark; it just might be a cobia.
Catching live bait can be as fun as hanging a big fish and it gives you and your anglers a warm-up for things to come. Pinfish are one of the best baits available. Traps work, but you better keep an eye on it; they have a habit of vanishing. I like to spend a little time at the start catching pins with a hook and line. Go to the grass flats, any flat, and simply use light tackle with a small gold live bait hook and split shot. A piece of shrimp can start the action and then move to a strip of squid; it will stay on longer. Cast netting scaled sardines (pilchards) can bring in big numbers fast, but it’s an art, so practice. You’ll find them in the same places as the pins. In the deeper water, the threadfin herrings are the prize, and they come in large schools that hover over structure; Dog Island reef is a good place to hunt them. Sibiki rigs of all sizes work well and it is common to have a stringer on in no time.
From the beach, sand fleas (mole crabs) can be raked at the shore break and they are fantastic bait for surf fisherman. You shore guys can even bait up with a chunk of mullet and that will attract all kinds of fish. This time of year is exciting and offers a lot of opportunities. Grouper fishing has been good with red grouper out there by the millions; you’ll catch lots of shorts but don’t give up, that legal-size one is out there. Spanish Mackerel are thick on Dog Island Reef and can be caught with small jigs fished with a fast retrieve.
There are so many species of fish available to all of us at this time of year that all we need to do is get out and catch them!
Good luck out there and be safe.
CAPT. CHESTER REESE
Natural World Charters
(850) 228-9060
www.naturalworldcharters.com