Spring will bring calmer seas and the first strong dolphin run. That’s right, it’s time to dust off the trolling rods. Let’s hope for light east winds. These conditions will allow weed lines to stack up, offering prime conditions for some fast paced action. Trolling right on the solid side of weed lines at around 7 to 7.5 knots with skirted ballyhoo is a proven tactic. Have several spinning rods rigged with live bait hooks and jigs. Quite often schools will cover you up and if you’re not ready, they’ll be gone by the time you rig up. Keep some cut up bait and live bait ready at all times. Rip lines and temperature breaks are prime targets as well.
Cobia will be prowling our waters this month as well. Look for manta rays cruising near the surface. Often cobia follow the rays in hopes that they’ll scare up crabs and other goodies. It’s a great time to go to the Bethel Shoals buoy. This place holds vast schools of bait and the bait’s not alone. Predators lurk just on the edge of the bait schools, prior to ripping through them. You can count on bonito, kingfish, barracuda, cobia, and if you want to tear up one of your reels, drop a big live bait next to the buoy and hold on as one of the resident goliath groupers heads for the horizon with your bait.
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