Unless we have another nasty brown algae bloom expect May to offer very good fishing. We still have plenty of local shrimp within our eco-system and fin-fish like mullet, pinfish, pigfish and glass minnows are all in abundance.
Our waters have warmed rapidly and we are currently seeing a normal algae bloom, which for me has a greenish tint to it. This happens every year and though it colors the water some it does not adversely affect our fishing.
It’s tough to make a poor choice as to which lure to choose right now. My only problem with lure selection is my favorite lures are of soft plastic designs and often the puffers render them useless within a cast or two or three. Even trying the Z-Man elaztech lures has proved annoying and these are tough baits. My supply of Exudes and Banks Lures soft plastics is dwindling rapidly as a result.
Hard baits on the other hand will keep these critters at bay. Aqua Dream weedless spoons are my favorite option here. For the angler with the skills necessary to get the spoon moving immediately upon touching the water this lure will stay relatively weed free and catch fish!
Of course top-water plugs are great options and I tend to match the size of these lures to the size of the mullet in the area I’m fishing. I will often select a lure a bit smaller than the natural forage, especially when targeting slot redfish, average sized trout, jacks, ladyfish or juvenile tarpon. However, when targeting gator trout you can bet I’ll go to a larger plug. These fish easily eat foot- long mullet and typically target silver mullet in the seven and eight inch range.
While we’re speaking about top- water action, please don’t fall into the low-light only fantasy. Top-water plugs can work all day and even in bright sunlight. Watch your surrounding area for surface activity. Offer up your silver sided floater whenever you see fish crashing the mullet. Just don’t tell those predators they’re not supposed to eat a floater at mid-day, they won’t believe you!