Come on Spring! March is the start of the new fishing year on the Emerald Coast. Throughout the month the air and water temps slowly start to rise and every day we start to see more and more fish show up. Cobia, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, jack crevalle, pompano, bluefish, and more will be showing their faces. Both inshore and offshore fishing will be terrific, so get your stuff together. When that first sunny mid 70’s day with a light southeaster presents itself, you don’t want to be scrambling.
Inshore: Cobia, perhaps the most desired fish, shows up this month migrating from the east to west using the wave and current direction to help them along the way. Also known as ling or lemon fish, they’re on their way to spawn along the Mississippi River Delta as they pass along the Emerald Coast. We have some of the best cobia fishing in the country and arguably the most entertaining. Our clear water and the white sand bottom makes them easy to spot. Fishermen cruise along the beach close to shore (1/8 to 2 miles) at a slow pace, sight fishing for them. They average from 30- to 40-lbs, and get up to 100 lbs. With these bigger fish, you’ll 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. Cobia typically start showing up around the first of the month, or when the water temp hits the magic number of 68 degrees. If you’re going to take a day off from work, make sure it’s a nice sunny day with a southeast breeze blowing around 10- to 15-kts. In these conditions, fish will get up high in the water and use the waves to their advantage making them very easy to spot. There’s much more to this than I can explain here, so swing by our tackle store and get the latest and greatest on how to catch cobia.
March is great for redfish and trout! They’re beginning to get out of their winter routines, holding up in creeks and rivers, and following the bait out to more open water. The warmer it gets, the better the fishing. If it stays cold for a couple more weeks, you can count on the fish staying where they’ve been. If we start getting some days in the high 70’s, those fish will be on the move. Hint…hit the lights this time of year. For some reason people always wait until summer to fish the lights, but March is a great time. Live shrimp are always one of the best baits to use regardless of the time of year, but they are usually plentiful at the bait shops so hit them up. On the grass flats, throw them behind popping corks with about 24 inches of fluorocarbon leader made 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 there. 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, the time is NOW!
Towards the end of the month you’ll see the beach fishing get better. Pompano, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and more will start running the beach in large schools. Anyone can be successful, whether fishing from the beach, on the jetties, the pier, or by boat. Early in the mornings or late afternoons, and during an incoming tide is the best time for all species mentioned. 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 aggressive and they’ll get you more bites.
Offshore: Triggerfish finally open up this month. We only have a few months to keep them, so start prepping and get after them while you can. March is also a great time to catch and release amberjack. They tend to stack up on anything steel, so anything like that you have marked is worth checking out. Usually, these are the places bait starts to hang out on first and the jacks will be there. Even public spots will have plenty of fish on them having been mostly left alone for the last couple of months. Finding bait can be a challenge, so stop at the inshore wrecks on the way out to look there.
Butterfly jigs and vertical jigs are also very good because fish are very hungry!
CAPT. PETER WRIGHT, JR.
The Ships Chandler
646 E. Hwy 98
Destin, FL 32541
850-837-9306
www.theshipschandler.com
