By Capt. Mike Weinhofer
Well it seems as if every month this year we are talking about weather be different from last year and traditional timing for fish migrations. Fish don’t have calendars they follow water temperatures and bait migrations and current. So it is no surprise that this year the fish are running behind schedule. We have had a long winter and late cold fronts to keep the water cool. It looks as if this year’s May will be the April of years past. The sailfish migration will likely happen in late April and into May. The large dolphin run will push back as well. The tarpon bite had started to happen then more cold fronts came thru and chilled the waters and chilled the bite. It is good news if your reading this it means that the best of the fishing has been delayed until you got here in May. The dolphin will be between 600 and 800 feet. The color change will come alive in May with Sailfish tailing down the color change with cobia and tuna as well. The big sharks will follow the color change looking for Bonitas and other prey. The afternoons will yield a late afternoon tuna bite. The big question is will the snapper bite on the reef delay as well. Muttons and mangrove snapper begin to fill the reef in April and May but this year? The tarpon are here in numbers but the April cold fronts kept them from being aggressive feeders.
In the Gulf of Mexico we will begin to see the cobia fill the wrecks and the shrimp boats burst with tuna and Bonitas.
In the flats the tarpon will most certainly grow hungry and permit and bonefish will flood into the warmer waters looking for shrimp and other baitfish. The channels will be full of fish on the falling tides.
Normally I rave about fishing in April as the start of some of my favorite fishing but this year May will be my new favorite.
Enjoy the calm winds of May and just go fishing.
It is a magical time of year and we all need a break from everyday paperwork so just break away and go have some fun.
Capt Mike Weinhofer
Compass Rose Charters, 305-395-3474
www.KeyWestFloridaFishing.com