The fish don’t need a calendar to tell them Spring is here. The warm temperatures and increasing hours of daylight are natural signals that it’s time to move and gorge. And that’s the scenario Forgotten Coast anglers can look forward to during the upcoming weekend.
Redfish were certainly active mid-week, but the slack tides weren’t triggering a ravenous feeding response. The fish that were curious honed in on DOA 1/4-ounce shrimp in Near Clear and Aqua Dream weedless spoons. Gold is a sure bet, but with the clear water don’t be afraid to tie on a chartreuse or silver/red version. There are even some true bull reds in the 40-inch-plus class roaming around.
Trout have been somewhat slower to shift into the spring pattern. Per historic trends, the far-eastern portion of the bay normally gets hot first, followed by the stretches closer to the St. Marks River. Many smaller fish were released this past weekend according to reports. Enough keepers came to the net to make it rewarding, though. The top-water bite is starting to pick up, while fake shrimp and touts fished plain with light jig heads or under a clacker/popper cork will trigger strikes, too. A live pinfish or mullet trailing behind the boat could entice the biggest fish of the day, including some early arriving cobia. A shiner tail or fresh pinfish split in half, is another option if you want to try the real thing.
A few advance scouts of Spanish mackerel have been captured in the nearshore depths. The main bulk of the migration will happen any day now. Small silver casting spoons with a trace of wire leader or Clarke spoons slow trolled are tops for the Spaniards. No reports of pompano yet or cobia either. A large tarpon was jumped on trout tackle in front of the Lighthouse earlier this week. It was likely one of the wintering fish shifting to the Gulf. Sea turtles are also moving back into the shallows, which is a good sign. Always check to see if a cobia isn’t tagging along a cruising turtle.
A quick-moving weather system isn’t expected to change the current conditions very much. Winds are expected to be light throughout the weekend, although the direction will clock around somewhat. Low tides will occur around daylight and they are still in the negative territory, so use caution when launching early. Three feet or more of water will flood back in by mid-afternoon in advance of next week’s new moon. The prime time to be casting will be from noonish until the crest of the high tide, according to the solunar tables. Combine that with the weather/temps and it’s prime time to be fishing. Just use caution to avoid close contact with others/possible contaminated surfaces and get out there and enjoy it.
Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.