March! I have been waiting all winter for this month! This is by far my most favorite month of the year. It seems like everything on Charlotte Harbor is coming out of its winter hibernation stage. The lush green turtle grass is starting to cover the flats and the fish are putting on their feed bags. When I think of spring fishing in Southwest Florida one fish comes to mind – Snook. If you read my reports on a regular basis then you know by now snook is my favorite game fish to target.. Just remember these fish are very fragile and need to be handled with care and placed back in the water very gently.
For the anglers that have a boat with a deeper draft, March is a great month for some deeper water action also. Spanish mackerel will be making their spring migration north. While you’re out on the harbor keep an eye out for birds working. This is a great indication of fish feeding. Trolling a small spoon is also a very effective way to locate schools of fish. I would highly recommend keeping a larger rod rigged for bigger fish. Cobia and tarpon have been known to be mixed with schools of mackerel.
Trout have been feeding very well with the warming waters. The local grass flats have been holding very good numbers of fish and very large ones. I have been catching some of the largest fish this year that I can remember catching. On a recent charter, we caught six fish over twenty inches and of that six, we had three over twenty five inches. I love for my clients to take home fish for dinner, but if possible try to release these big trout – they are always female and generally have row.
Redfish have been picking up very nicely, during the winter months they are generally on the smaller size. There have been a few in the slot with a few over size. On the lower tides, I’ve been fishing potholes 10-20 yards of mangrove islands and having very good luck. Live bait has been working very well. If you cannot get live bait a hand- picked shrimp on a jig head will get their attention. On the higher tides, I recommend focusing on the mangroves.
Alright, I saved the best for last. Snook have come out and they are very hungry. This is the time of year that they migrate out of the deeper creeks and rivers to feed up for the summer spawn. Barrier islands and deeper potholes on the flats will be holding very good numbers of fish. Live bait is the bait of choice. If you can’t get live bait, large shrimp will get bites and also artificial lures will get their attention. I like using top water early in the morning then switching to subsurface later in the day.
If you are looking for a great day fishing on the Peace River and/or Charlotte Harbor give me a call or send me an email and we will customize a private charter that best fits your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens, 941-916-5769, www.backbayxtremes.com
