March is heralded by many, to be one of the best months to fish, and in many cases, this is not far from the truth. As the water temps begin to climb, most of the inshore species will start to drop out of the creeks and rivers, headed toward the shallow grass flats that have made the Nature Coast famous. With the cold fronts becoming few and far between, and warm weather being the norm, anglers should look to areas like Gomez Rocks and Tin Pan Gap to start producing quality catches of speckled trout, along with a few mackerel and pompano.
Local redfish anglers will be happy to know that spring tides are on their way, and soon we will have many more hours of high tide to help us get back to those weary spot-tailed fish. The redfish will also begin to move into the spring pattern with the fish locating themselves more in relation to the current, than to the wind. When the redfish start relating to the current, vs the wind, this shows that they are no longer worried about staying warm, but interested in feeding. This gives anglers a much higher chance of being successful in the hunt for springtime reds.
As you look a little further out in the gulf, you will see that things are changing out there as well. The sheepshead are starting to wrap up their spawning activities, before scattering back out for the summer and fall. Mangrove snapper will begin to show up on nearly every piece of bottom structure, from 8 to 80 feet of water, along with many of the migratory species, who are starting to make an appearance, like cobia and king mackerel. It’s time to load up the family, and head on over to Crystal River, to cash in on the hot spring bite!
Capt. Clay Shidler
ClayShidler@Yahoo.com