May is one month that I most look forward to every year. The fishing is always on fire and the weather is perfect! May is when just about every species of fish, inshore and offshore, begin to show up. Large migrating schools of bait are pouring into our bays and estuaries and big predators are right behind them. Redfish, trout, flounder, jacks, cobia, mackerel, sharks, and even tarpon will begin to appear this month.
Inshore, most species will be feeding on bait around the grass flats. On mornings with higher tides they will feed in the shallows from 1- to 3-feet of water. Look for large pods of bait and/or fish busting on the surface. As the sun gets up, and tides begin to fall, those fish will move to around 3- to 6-feet deep. Top-water plugs, like the Rapala Skitterwalks, are great lures this time of month for reds and trout because fish are feeding on surface baits. Later in the day, soft plastics, such as a Slayer INC paddle tail, worked near the bottom along grass and sand edges works great.
Offshore this time of year is fun! King Macks begin to show up and can provide tons of action. Artificial wrecks, drop offs and depth transition lines can hold lots of these toothy critters. Trolling dead cigar minnows on duster rigs is the most common way to catch them. Another fun way is to anchor up and chum the kings behind the boat and cast large plugs like a Rapala Long Cast twitching mullet.
CAPT. JORDAN TODD
Saltwater Obsessions
850-227-6550