CRYSTAL RIVER
March Madness

Spring flats fishing is a time that many anglers look forward to, with the best part of spring fishing being the incredible variety of species available this time of year. As the waters begin to warm up, our local species (trout, redfish, and snook) will begin to move out of the local rivers and creeks to the open flats and outer islands. At the same time, many of the nearshore migratory species will begin to make their way into our area and these species include Spanish mackerel, bluefish, tripletail, kingfish and of course cobia.

The speckled trout will be found on the grass flats with the Gomez Rocks area, one of the best places to start your hunt for trout. Using soft plastic jigs on 3-foot leader, underneath a popping cork, is a time- proven way to get the attention of quality speckled trout. I prefer an Unfair Lures Smack Tail on a ¼ ounce jig head below a Cajun Thunder popping cork. This rig also catches mackerel and bluefish equally as well. While drifting for trout, it’s a great idea to have a live pinfish drifting behind the boat under a cork, to hopefully give you a shot at a big cobia, which is an awesome bonus any day. Drifting the flats is a perfect way to spend a spring day.