By Capt. Weston Russell, Contributing Writer
Welcome to the May fishing forecast. Offshore anglers expect decent dolphin fishing. Dollies are on a spring migration north. Finding the weed lines is a must. This is when you “run & gun”! Run to the first line; troll for a spell. If nothing, run to the next one. Keep your eye out for floating structures that could be holding fish. Leave no floating trash unturned. It doesn’t take much to hold fish. Have a Daiwa spinner setup with a popper plug. Casting in all directions works great for bringing fish from the deep. You may not see anything at first, but there could be a school 50’ down. Good luck!
If you like to stay closer to land, the edge (130’depth) will be hot with bonita, kingfish and cobia. Let’s not forget sharks! You already know to reel super-fast to get those fish boat side. Having an 8’ BBW Gaff will get them in before the sharks can attack. Snapper fishing will be good this month too. If the tide is slower than 2mph, fish deeper. Depths of 200’ to 300’ will hold 10lb plus fish. The key is heavy lead and a long leader… Tight lines!
Let’s talk about inshore and beach fishing. The pompano bite was epic in April; it should stay hot in May. Sand fleas or shrimp work best for them. The bite has been at the north end condos on Singer Island and MacArthur Beach area. Also, tarpon will be on the beach. If you find a school, the best bait to throw is a live thread-fin. It won’t take but a sec to get hooked up. Be ready!
Captain Weston Russell
561-310-2690
www.reelintensefishing.com