After a long cold Winter, the Anglers of the Crystal Coast are more than ready to stretch out of their cold caves and start the thawing out. March brings the beginning signs of Spring with moderate weather and water temps. These conditions start the beginning of fish working their way back to the area. Let’s talk about the how, when and where we can catch these early spring species!
The waters along the beaches, channels, inlets and the interior will start rising to the mid-60s depending on depth. This is the perfect temperature to excite Blue Fish, Sea mullet, Grey Trout and Drum around the inlets and channels. Drifting these areas with bottom rigs using fresh cut shrimp will usually produce a good days catch. Live bait is not around yet this time of year, so a great alternative is using silver casting jigs in 2oz option. Jigging from the bottom can produce nice Sea Trout! This can be done by boat or pier.
As you make your way to the waters off the local beaches you can find some great fun and action with the Spring Albacore runs! Cast shiny metal jigs with a fast retrieve action to lock on these amazing fighting fish. Trolling small hard baits can also work very well with these fish as well as Blue fish. As March progresses everyone gets excited about the first Spanish Mackeral catch as well! Let’s hope it’s you that gets the first Spaniard of the Season! As we move into deeper waters offshore you can be sure to still find great catches of delicious bottom fish such as Vermillion snapper, Trigger fish, Black Sea bass, Porgies and jacks. Be sure to update and study all the new seasons regulations on the fish you’re targeting. A lot of changes have been made for the 2026 Season with Speckled Sea Trout being one that stands out. The great thing about March is with patience and some work you can find a successful Day on land, boats or piers!
The official Spring season, which starts in April, will bring tons of fun and plenty of fishing action, just consider your March a pre-season warm up. Good luck and as always, feel free to reach out to us for any help or just want to hop aboard for a great Day of Fishing, we would love to have you! Until next time, Best Fishes
