by Capt. Billy Norris
Fishing the last month has been fantastic! Despite some after effects of the red tide, the bite has been great! In the backwater, average sized snook and jacks have been the star of the show. Whitebait, either free-lined or fished under a popping cork has been the go-to. The passes are holding pompano and trout, so fishing a shrimp tip-jigged should continue to yield good results until the weather switches into our summer pattern. The near-shore bit has been stellar! Spanish mackerel are everywhere, with some fish going up to four to five pounds being caught! For Spanish, live whitebait or a free-lined shrimp are getting hit on almost every cast, just ensure that you are using a steel leader. Some large sheepshead are still hanging around and the bigger mangos are starting to school up on the nearshore reefs/wrecks. There are some tarpon around, as long as you are willing to search for them. The monster Goliath grouper are eating baits dropped to them, and if you’re willing to skip the gym for the day, you can get a good workout bringing them up! In addition, the sharks are thick and for the sportsman, bull sharks, blacktips and sandbars are very active and can be caught using the proper tackle with a blue runner or mullet with heavy tackle. Fishing in the area is great, so get out there and catch them up!
