by Bill Buckley “Uncle Buck,” Contributing Writer
May is a fantastic month for fishing all around Florida. Weather patterns are settling into a calmer summertime routine. Bait migrations are moving through our region. And open seasons overlap for two prized species.
It’s the last month of the springtime snook season, which closes June 1st. Joe Donnelly of Boynton Beach has reported that snook have been biting very well for beach, bridge, and inlet anglers from Boca to Boynton, and will continue through May. He recommends using live baits on incoming tides and artificials for outgoing. He also reports that jack crevalle and tarpon have been following baitfish schools along the beaches, and big bluefish have been caught from the piers at night. Sheepshead and black drum can still be caught around most bridges from George Bush Blvd. in Delray north into Palm Beach using live shrimp and light tackle.
Reef anglers can celebrate the opening of grouper season May 1st. All shallow water grouper species will be legal to keep through the end of 2017. Check FWC regulations for specific size and bag limits. Most groupers can be caught while drifting over reefs with fresh cut baits or frozen sardines. Use a double-hook set with at least 5ft of 60lb fluorocarbon leader and a 4-8oz egg sinker above the swivel. Drop to the bottom and reel up a few cranks. Be ready to push the drag up to keep groupers from escaping into the reef.
Kingfish are also plentiful in May. In the daytime, your best bet is to drift live baits from 150ft into the reefs. During the nighttime, drifting frozen sardines is productive in those same depths. Use a double-hook set with 8 inches of 30-50lb wire and 5ft of 50lb mono leader. Depending on drift speed, use a 2-4oz egg sinker above the leader to get the bait down to the mid-water depths where kingfish feed.
May has regularly been my best month for catching large blackfin tunas over 20lbs. There are plenty of “footballs” to be caught while trolling with small feather lures, but you’ll want to be drifting live baits in 120-240ft of water for the jumbos. Use live pilchards or threadfins, and at least 10ft of 30lb fluorocarbon leader connected to the mainline with a tiny swivel. Flat-lining the baits will work fine, but on warm sunny days use a sliding 1-2oz teardrop weight held in place 30ft above the bait with a small rubber band. Let the bait swim away from the boat, then slowly let the weight down about 40ft to keep the bait in the cooler water below the surface thermocline. Be sure to immediately bleed out blackfins that you plan to keep for best quality on the plate.