Spring is almost here on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Soon the redbuds and crabapples and a host of other flowering trees and plants will be budding. With the seasonal shifts, where should you be fishing?
For many years now, I’ve learned to read the plants that are blooming to know if the seasonal shift of my bay would be ahead of schedule or behind. While the last several winters have had bitter cold, these cold periods still have been shorter compared to long-term trends. This leads to certain flowering trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants to bloom early or later, and I’ve found over time this to be a consistent indicator correlating with forage species movements into and out of the bays and estuaries.
Redbuds, Crab Apples, and a host of flowering bulbs tend to be great indicators of early spring warm ups and whether or not the trout will move early from the rivers and other winter haunts to more of a spring location ahead of schedule or sometimes behind schedule. You’ll have to begin making notes in your log as to what the fish are doing in your area and what species to watch as they bloom and stop.
Seeing the Redbuds flower early compared to prior seasons could lead you to abandon your winter fishing locations ahead of your planned time. Getting on the move early can then help you find those early spring fish ahead of schedule.
Tobin created TroutSupport.com — Tech Support for Speckled Trout and Redfish Anglers—beyond the basics.