March is the best month for the cobia run in our area. Veteran anglers will watch the water temperature and listen for reports that say, âThe run is on!â This is when you cash in on that well deserved sick day youâve been saving up at work. The cobia generally move north along the coast as the water warms. Often, cooler water temps to the north (below 65 degrees) will put the cobes in a holding pattern between Fort Pierce and Cape Canaveral. Â The area midway between Sebastian and Cape Canaveral is always a good bet. Look for bait pods, temperature breaks and subtle weed lines in the 40 to 80 feet range. Spend some time looking at sea surface temperature charts the day before a cobia hunting trip. The fish will often be near that temperature break in the mid-sixties. Cobia anglers will sight fish for hours looking for the brown bombers cruising just under the surface. The payoff is watching a group of cobias charge a lure and experiencing the âfire-drillâ that ensues. Try cobia jigs or big swim baits and increase the retrieve when a fish charges. Wait until the fish is pointed away from you before aggressively setting the hook. Jigs will need an especially hard set to move the jig in that abrasive mouth.
Traditionally, the big mahi in the 30-plus-pound class, move through this time of year. Water temp is especially important in finding the fish. The typical trolling grounds of summer can be a bit chilly for the warm water loving mahi. Try to get out there in that mid-seventies water if you can. If you canât, there will be blackfins, sails, wahoo, kings and others caught on the troll, in the cooler water closer to shore
Bottom fishing will continue to be solid this month. Grouper and red snapper are out of season but mangrove snapper, muttons, lanes, sea bass, triggerfish, and cobia will be on the menu. Try using a few different hook sizes and presentations to bring all the species into play. There has been a good run of large lane snapper as of late. They prefer a smaller piece of cut bait and are found on patchy reefs rather than big relief areas.
Kingfish fishing will continue to be solid this month. Keep a live bait or a frozen sardine freelined while bottom fishing. The kings will need a small wire leader. Target them by slow trolling and drifting over the reefs or adjacent to areas where the commercial king boats are working. Keep a couple baits near the surface and a couple baits at mid-depth.
An itinerary I like this month is to bottom fish, or troll in the morning and then switch over to cobia hunting as the sun gets high in the sky. So, be prepared with a plan and all the necessary tackle when that perfect March weekday pops up. Oh, and use plenty of sunscreen so your boss doesnât find out. Or, better yet, just take him some cobia fillets.
FORECAST BY: Capt. Randy Lang
Sebastian Gypsy Fishing Charters
Email: gypsycharters@gmail.com
Website:Â www.sebastianfishingcharter.com
