Come on Spring! March is really the start of the new year when it comes to fishing on the Emerald Coast. With Spring finally showing its face, fishermen start getting together their tackle, they start going through their boat and making sure everything is in tip top shape, and they start discussing with their family and friends about what days they’re going to take off work to go fishing. Throughout the month, the air and water temps slowly start to rise and every day we see more and more fish show up on the coast. Just this month alone we’ll see cobia, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, jack crevalle, pompano, bluefish and more. Inshore and offshore fishing are terrific this month, so get your stuff together because when that first sunny day in the mid 70’s with a light southeastern breeze presents itself, you don’t want to be scrambling.
INSHORE FISHING: Cobia (ling/lemon fish), perhaps the most desired fish to catch, shows up around the first of the month migrating from the east to west, using wave and currents to help them along. Look for the magic number of 68 degree water. They pass by here on their way to spawn in the Mississippi River Delta. The Emerald Coast has some of the best cobia fishing in the country and arguably the most entertaining. Fishermen cruise along the beach from 1/8- to 2-miles away from shore at a slow pace sight fishing. Having the clear water and the white sand bottom makes for an easy spot and cast to these fish that average from 30- to 40-lbs and can reach 100 lbs. Since they are bigger fish you want to use larger spinning tackle like a 20- to 40-lb outfit. The majority of fish you see are hungry and will eat almost anything you throw in front of them, but their favorites include live eels, live fin baits, mullet, squid balls, and crabs. Artificial baits can be very deadly, sometimes better, and there’s no better artificial than the classic Frank Helton Ding-A-Ling Jig. If you’re going to take a day off from work, choose a nice sunny day with a southeast breeze blowing around 10- to 15 kts. The fish will get up high in the water and use the waves to their advantage cruising the tops of them headed west, making it very easy to spot them. There’s a lot more to this than I can explain here, so be sure to swing by our tackle store and get the latest and greatest gear and info to catch your cobia.
March is one of my favorite months for redfish and trout. The fish start to get out of their winter routines, holding up in creeks and rivers, and start to move along with the bait back out to more open water. The warmer the month is, the better the fishing. If it stays cold for a couple more weeks, you can count on the fish staying put where they’ve been the last couple months. If we get some days with highs in the 70’s, those fish will be on the move. One hint is to hit the lights this time of year. People often wait till summer to fish the lights, but March is a great time. Live shrimp is always one of the best baits to use regardless of the time of year, but they’re usually plentiful at the bait shops so hit them up. Use them on grass flats too, throwing them behind popping corks with a 24” fluorocarbon leader of 15lb test. Redfish will also be moving out of the rivers and creeks and towards the flats and bridges. In the spring they can really stack up together, so when you catch one you’ll usually find more. With the water warming up you’ll be able to find bait easier, but check the bayous, creeks, and harbors first for pinfish and finger mullet.
Sheepshead will continue to stack up on the bridges and docks this month. They are finishing up spawning so if you really want to capitalize on them, NOW is the time!
Along the beach, especially towards the end of the month, you’ll start to see the beach fishing get better and better. Pompano, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and more will start running the beach in large schools. What’s nice about these fish is that anyone can be successful, whether you’re fishing from the beach, on the jetties, pier, or by a boat. Early in the mornings or late afternoons, and during an incoming tide, is the best time for all species listed above. You can do very well with diamond jigs, gotcha jigs, and spoons. You can blind cast these into the surf or go along looking for a school. Work them fast and aggressively and you’ll get more bites.
OFFSHORE: Spring is always a great time of year for Amberjack. These fish tend to stack up on anything steel. Any big steel you have marked in your GPS is worth checking out. Usually this is one of the first places that bait starts to hang out on, and the jacks will start to stack up. Even the public spots will have plenty of fish on them due to minimal fishing pressure. The biggest issue is finding bait, but you can catch some good baits on the inshore wrecks, so be sure to stop on the way out. This time of year the fish are usually hungry, so artificial lures such as butterfly jigs and vertical jigs are very good.
CAPT. PETER WRIGHT, JR.
The Ships Chandler
646 E. Hwy 98
Destin, FL 32541
850-837-9306
www.theshipschandler.com
