[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat a CRAZY winter it has been – plenty of rain, record cold, lots of wind, big piles of snow and ‘way too much ice! Here in Morehead, the docks are coming back to life with everyone scrambling around to finish up winter boat projects and the typical spring make-ready stuff. My raft is in the shop getting recertified, my reels are being respooled and I am spending my days going through my annual checklist of safety items, permits and licenses, advertising, etc. I think I have enough time to get the boat waxed, curtains and metal polished and maybe a little more varnish on the doors and maybe some paint in the boxes. Spring is finally getting here and with it comes the expectations of spring fishing!
Once we get rid of most of the bitter cold of winter, we begin to see more favorable wind patterns and the waves of warmer water will begin to move back into our primary fishing areas from offshore and down the beach. Spring fishing is what originally got me hooked on offshore fishing in general…every year I just could not wait to get back out there and hunt for yellowfin tuna and wahoo and anything else I could find. Granted, the last couple of years have not been our
best for the tuna but I have high hopes that this year we will see a change. There were some decent catches last spring, unfortunately the economy and weather did not help in getting a lot of boats offshore on a regular basis in the early spring – but when we went there were some fish to be caught. The fact that the tuna stayed around for a while last year also helped build expectations.
Offshore fishing in March can be a bit tricky for the small boater, as the majority of the action is still a little farther offshore and usually is a pretty long run either up or down the beach. It is a good time to charter a boat and let us do the work for you and keep you safe. That being said, once you have gone through all your safety checklist and make ready items – check out a satellite shot and get out there and do some fishing. We usually catch some nice wahoo in the spring, so I always like to keep my planer rod down with a wire rig. The surface baits can be a mix of wire and mono, but be prepared to switch, depending on what you find. If you start getting cut off by the ‘hoos, then get more wire out there. If you feel you are in the right area for the tuna, then get more mono out there. We use fairly light mono leaders instead of going to fluorocarbon. In our experience, it has worked just fine. If and when you find the tuna, stay with them! Any color rig can be productive on any given day – don’t be afraid to switch it up and experiment, but, that being said, I never fish without “something” blue/white out there and I almost always have a naked bait out as well. Get out there, find a good spot with bait and good conditions and work it.
March is the start of our season and a very busy time for the fleet. Get your preps done, make sure EVERYTHING is right (tackle, boat, safety gear, electronics), start watching our fishing reports or come on down to the dock – then check out the satellite shots and go fishing! Now is also the time to book your charters for the season, as our phones will be getting busier every day.
Stay prepared, stay safe!