We have had a very unique winter with record heat. So with the record heat, the following has occurred. Weakfish are on fire. Marker 18 and 19 seem to be a good bet. Baits of choice: bait shrimp, cut bait, e., small croaker work very well. Catches thus far have been really, really good.
Redfish are here cruising the grass lines for small crabs and bait shrimp. You’ll catch a fair amount of these beauties, but legal ones are a little harder to do. Once again, bait shrimp, frozen, works. Speaking of shrimp, remember the season is closed, until June 1st.
The creeks and Doctor’s Lake are giving up Flounder, some big flatties and a fair amount of small ones. Baits have been speck minnows, shiners, grubs (plastic) and even night crawlers.
But remember if using croakers, you are probably subject to a million bream nibbles.
Bream and shell crackers: both have a love of grunt worms. You’ll find them on hard shell bottoms doing their thing. And more than likely, cause that’s how odd the start of this year has been.
You’ll start seeing bass beds or areas where they have been. These beauties will hit shiners, spinner baits, chatter baits and plastic. Pre-spawners are trying to get strength for their labors. Post-spawners are now wanting to eat. So they’ll be attacking those baits. The bedders can be aggravated into biting with plastic thrown past the bed and slowly drug back into the bed.
Bream will be spawning at the moons this month. Baits: wigglers, red wigglers and earth worms. Night crawlers will work but their kind of big. Also by the later part of this month, crickets will do a big number on them.
Warmouth in the pads: dipping minnows or worms or crickets.
Some of these are very respectable fish.
Catfish will be moving toward the back of weeds and into creeks to do their thing. Bait shrimp, night crawlers and, yes, even shiners work very well.
The gar will be thick in the smaller creeks doing the spawn thing. The bad thing is they run off the other fish so fish areas accordingly.
Mullet will be starting their thing by middle to end of the month, so it will soon be time to start getting your tackle ready for the Spring and Summer.
So ’til next time, keep your lure moving and your line wet.–Richard.