By: Eric Henson
One of my favorite reasons why I live in Sarasota, Florida is because of months like April! Weather is perfect fishing is hot with fish feeding super aggressively after the past cooler months. With easy access to Sarasota Bay, the Gulf of America, this time of the year is prime for hooking into some serious drag screamers.
April is a top-notch month for targeting inshore favorites like snook, redfish, and spotted seatrout. These fish are fired up as water temps rise, smashing topwater plugs at first light and crushing soft plastics later. Also live shrimp around mangrove edges and oyster bars is a good place to start. Spanish mackerel are also thick, blitzing through bait schools and giving light tackle a run for its money especially when you catch a decent size one! Such an incredibly fast moving species.
When planning your trip, pay close attention to the tides āmoving water gets the fish feedingā. you really donāt need a whole lot of Tackle as long as you have a top water, lure, suspension lure, and some type of soft plastics to work all levels of the water column . And donāt forget the essentials: a good PFD, polarized shades to spot fish, and plenty of sunscreen. It may not feel hot out there, but I promise you you are getting sunburned! Lol.
Hope everyone is out there enjoying this month what all Sarasota has to offer. Please respect your waters and other anglers while out there! Catch yāall soon on the water. Tight lines!!