By: Capt. Billy Norris
What a crazy winter it’s been! We had two major cold fronts reach down from the north and brought 30-degree temperatures to our area! Although most visitors to our area laugh at the idea of 30 degrees being crazy for us, it very rarely gets that cold here and the fishing immediately after the fronts reflected that. However, the temperatures have warmed back up, and spring is now in full swing!
The backwater bite has been steady. As we transition from winter into spring, we will see the departure of our wintertime staples like sheepshead, and the arrival of our summertime favorites like snook and tarpon! The great thing about this time of year is that you never know what you’re going to catch, and the surprises keep on coming. The sheepshead bite has been great in the backwaters. Look for them around structure like docks, pilings, and bridges. Snook have also begun chewing better, and some solid fish have been coming boat side. There have also been a ton of pompano in the passes. For pompano, it’s hard to beat jigging, either with a shrimp tipped jig or a banana jig. The tides this past month have also been extreme due to some astrological events, so make sure you’re checking your charts before heading out for a day in the backwater.
Offshore has remained great. It was extremely slow for a few days following each of the cold fronts, but once the water temperatures picked back up, the fish bite did too. Gag grouper have been chewing well offshore, and even though their season is closed, they are still a blast to catch. We have also been consistently filling coolers with mangrove snapper, lane snapper, porgies, sheepshead, and even some big hogfish! There are also plenty of sharks around for those anglers who are looking for a challenge of a fight. Permit have also begun to show up in areas, and there’s nothing quite as exhilarating as sight casting for giant permit.
The weather is fantastic, the bite is great, and it’s just going to keep getting better as we move closer to summer! If you’re ready to get out on the water and make your own fishing memories, give us a call at (239)285-7710 and schedule your trip today!