All Gave Some and Some Gave All
The snook and redfish are flooding the flats. April and May are prime times to target them. There are some real trophy class fish of over 40 inches, if you know where to look and what to use.
We’ll start with where to look. The best flats have spotty grass and potholes that sit right along the mangroves. The trick is to position your boat according to the tide. If the tide is out, position yourself well away from the mangroves and cast up as close as you can to the bank and spotty grass. If the tide is up, you want to cast right up on the mangrove line.
A lot of times, you can see the fish. If you do, chum them up to keep them nearby. If you can’t see them, a little chum can help draw them in.
Cut bait works very well as bait and chum. Use threadfin shad, cut pinfish, cut ladyfish or cut mullet. Live white bait also works, if you can find it. If I had to pick, it would be cut pinfish for the monsters.
For the artificial gang, you can’t go wrong with a 1/4-ounce gold spoon. Retrieve it at a medium speed. Top waters and Mission Fishin jigheads rigged with a soft plastic body are always deadly.
Tackle should be a bump up from your usual trout gear. A 7-foot 6-inch 8 to 17-pound class rod with a 3500 to 4000 size real loaded with 15-pound Powerpro braid will handle everything you run into. A 3-foot piece of 20 to 30-pound fluorocarbon tied to a lure or #5 circle hook will complete the tackle end.
Pocket Change supports our military veterans and is proud to be a part of the 4th annual On the Water with Veterans fishing event. A projected 170 veterans will sign up for this FREE event out of St Petersburg FL.
This is a four hour inshore fishing trip, lunch and raffles! If you’re a veteran, and wish to participate, please go to www.onthewaterwithveteransinc.com or call 813-370-6567. Disabled? Bound to a wheelchair? No problem! The event is completely adaptive and encourages you to join!