Old saying goes, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. However sometimes it’s the last week in March and we’re still looking for that lamb. The fishing should be worth the wait. Look for good catches of mangroves, triggerfish and hopefully still some cobia lingering.
Last year in the 85-to-90-foot range, fishing was great when we could find clean water. The winds of March can sometimes leave us with a decent ocean but dirty water conditions. Good to be prepared to run to 160 feet or deeper to find clean water. Chicken rigs with squid will produce catches of vermilion snapper, trigger fish and porgy’s. It’s a great way to salvage the day and put some dinner on the table.
Offshore trolling should be slow but there’s always a chance of a blackfin tuna and occasional dolphin or wahoo. I like to troll some ballyhoo from spot to spot while I’m looking for a mark of fish on the bottom. There’s the chance of picking up a fish as well as giving the rest of the crew something to do other than stare at you, starring at the bottom machine. I’ve found the water to be stirred up after long periods of March winds to where fish don’t mark or bite right away when you get to a spot. If that’s the case, you might give it some time. Stay to make it pay.
If the waters dirty the fish will be back in the ledges and take some coaching to come out and bite. The fishing nearshore is usually tough due to lack of calmer water keeping it stirred up.
With the crazy changing weather patterns though you never know if we’ll we get a couple weeks of decent March weather or just a couple days. if it’s the latter, I take advantage of this time to prepare for April fishing. I go through everything from safety equipment, bilge pumps, engine maintenance, tackle, also a good time to respool reels and restock your spare parts inventory. Sometimes having an extra fuel filter or set of spark plugs can salvage your fishing day as well as your reputation. If there’s a calm day in March, I’ll be out there on the Big Easy.
“Fish on, gotta go!”
FORECAST BY: Capt. Terry Wildey
Big Easy Fishing Charters
Phone: (772) 538-1072
Email: captwildey@bellsouth.net
www.bigeasyfishingcharters.com
