by Captain Weston Russell, Contributing Writer
If you like variety, you anglers will love the month of May. Offshore Palm Beach, Spring will bring plenty of kings. The waters south of the Breakers Hotel will produce some tournament winning fish. Try slow trolling a live blue runner or goggle eye in depths of 80 to 120 feet. Don’t forget to put a stinger hook in its tail. Also, in May, the blackfin tuna bite will be on. These fish are hard fighters and make for great table fare. To catch blackfin tuna, you will need a 20 lb. spinner or conventional gear combined with a light fluorocarbon leader. A good tactic for catching tuna is live chumming off the edge of the reef. Try depths from 80 to 140 feet. Remember that tuna like low light conditions. Early morning or late evening will be your best bet.
The reef bite will be good this time of the year. The sun sets later than in the winter, so take advantage of this extra fishing time. You may be rewarded with a nice mutton snapper or flag yellowtail.
For you inshore anglers, look to the beaches. Tarpon will be running in packs of six to ten. Cruise the beaches and look for any black patches that move. These fish will be chasing sardines. Try pitching a live sardine or jumbo shrimp in front of the school and hold on! Remember to point your rod at the fish when it is jumping.
If you would like to learn some new fishing tactics give me a call, your boat or mine. Well, good luck and tight lines!
Capt. Weston Russell
Reelintensefishing.com
561-310-2690