MARCH ON THE WATER
With record cold weather over the past couple months behind us we can look forward to warmer days. With luck, March will kick the pattern as we exit winter and move into spring. Spring fishing is looked upon as some of the best of the year with a wide variety of species willing to bend a rod. As days get longer and warmer, the water temperature rises. Schooling baitfish returns after seeking warmer weather over the winter. This is a combination that rings the dinner bell for fish along our coastal waters.
The winter sheepsheads’ run will come to a close over the month. As they complete their spawning duties, they disperse to who knows where. There’s still a good chance to hook big ones around inshore structure and nearshore reefs, especially early in the month. Inshore, catching pompano is a possibility when fishing with shrimp or small pompano jigs.
Spanish mackerel are a fun target as they are ferocious feeders, fast, and great fighters. Prepared fresh, they offer excellent table fare that’s often overlooked. For me, they are the perfect fish when looking for fun and action. When mackerels are present, odds are good that sharks are nearby; sharks love snacking on mackerels.
This month kicks off snook fishing along our coastal waters. Water temperature is critical for snook, too cold and they are often dormant. As the water rises to 70 degrees or above and holds, we can look for snook to become active, on the move, and hungry. Like many of our game fish, as the water warms their primary diet becomes oily baitfish.
With the arrival of baitfish and warming water, big trout become common catches. Many of our largest sea trout of the year are caught this month. Trout are in their first and largest spawn cycle of the year, look for the bigger fish to get aggressive and hungry.
Following months of daytime low tides and often not much water to navigate, our first spring high tides begin. Higher tides allow for good opportunities to target redfish along mangrove shorelines and over oyster bars. Early morning low tides also allow anglers a great opportunity at tailing redfish over the shallow flats.
Offshore, on days the weather allows there are good opportunities for a variety of fish including reef dwellers like snapper, grouper, grunts, porgies, sheepsheads, and others. Schools of fast-moving Spanish and king mackerel, plus false albacore, or bonito and even some blackfin tuna are making their way up the coast and busting up any schooling baitfish they encounter. Keep an eye out for tripletail around buoys or floating debris and don’t be surprised if a big cobia makes his presence around your boat while bottom fishing. Fishing around one of the many public artificial reefs is always a good choice for a variety of fish.
Early season tarpon begin to show off the beaches, to the southern part of our region slowly making their way up the coast. Tarpon hook-ups are possible inshore as the waters warm over the month.
March is a month where anything is possible, and you should always expect the unexpected. We generally have some cool and windy days, but they will be offset with great weather as we break into the spring season.
Stay up to date with fishing regulations by visiting http://www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app to your phone. It has current regulations and seasons with pictures to help identify fish.
For charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service and “Catch the Action” with Capt. Bill Russell, call or text (239) 410-8576, website: http://www.fishpineisland.com, email: [email protected].
Capt. Bill Russell is a native and lifelong resident of Pine Island who has spent his entire life fishing the waters surrounding Pine Island and Southwest Florida. For the past 30 years, Bill has been a professional fishing guide who takes pride in customizing each trip to ensure everyone on board has a great time and will return again. Come join us and “Catch the Action.”
