The weather guessers got it wrong again with the winds this week (shocker), but the fish were still cooperative in East Bay. The water near the East River is still murky, but the closer to open water the better the clarity. There is a slight tannin stain, but overall the shallows are clear. Temperatures are ranging from 74 to 76-plus degrees.
Redfish were aggressively pounding chrome top water plugs, even with the choppy conditions. The pre-new moons tides were strong and the peak times coincided with the solunar periods, as is often the case. Most of the reds were mid-slot, but a few in the upper 30-inch range were spotted but not fed. I also saw several large, albeit spooky trout in less than two feet of water. A few sheepshead were zipping around and a 4-foot bull shark was prowling as well.
The bait situation is rapidly improving. Schools of buck mullet were darting about and I also encountered smaller pods of menhaden/pogy and glass minnows. Quite a few rays were groveling along the bottom in sizes ranging from saucers to satellite antennas. The usual bird life, including a bald eagle and osprey were also seen. One of the osprey was clutching a long streamer of Spanish moss as it flew back to the nest to continue construction.
The tides and bite should be good this weekend with the new moon. The wind turbine doesn’t show any sign of slowing down, though. I thought March was supposed to be the breezy month!
Redfish are being released in coastal counties throughout the state in anticipation of the 2022 Coastal Conservation Association Florida STAR tournament. Tagged redfish can win several boat/outboard/trailer packages for adult and junior anglers. Tons of other great prize packages are up for grabs. The younger crowd also has a chance to win college scholarships. New this year is the ALTA Equipment Company special prize of $50,000 if a Super-STAR-Tagged redfish is caught. You have to be a CCA member and registered beforehand to win prizes. Fishing starts Memorial Day Weekend and continues through Labor Day Weekend. To register or learn more information, please visit ccaflstar.com
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