by Capt. Patrick Smith, Contributing Writer
Spring is in full swing. It can be a windy time, but the weather is warm, and the fish will be chewing. More bait will be around and there are sure to be predators close by. You should be able to track down mullet pretty easily and they will work great offshore and on the inside. Pitching a tail hooked mullet to a seawall is almost guaranteed to get you a big explosion and tight on a monster whether it’s a snook or giant jack; you will need to be prepared. I use 65-130lb braid and an 80lb mono leader finished with a j or big circle hook depending on the situation. I normally lock the drag up and they still manage to pull some.
Snook and tarpon will be on the bridges at night and both make great targets on fly and artificial. Yozuri crystal minnows and magnum divers are both great choices for working a shadow line. I prefer to fish black and silver or a completely black or purple plug and cast far up tide of the bridge and swing it back.
I find the tarpon sit further out in front of the shadow. For fly casters a black and purple baitfish on a sinking line will get the job done on bigger fish, while a shrimp fly on the surface will catch numbers of smaller ones.
On the fresh side peacocks will be well into their spawning season and perhaps too easy of a target. They will hit anything but use your best judgement when picking off the beds and try to pass on fish that are guarding eggs or fry. We need those babies for the future.
Capt. Patrick Smith
CaptPatrick@swamptosea.com
www.swamptosea.com
561-503-0848