A late-season cold front tapped the brakes on an early spring last week. Air temps in the low 70s and even 60s briefly cooled inshore waters, and with that, the bite. I happen to have felt it even more on a family trip to St. Simons Island, Georgia last week, where the first two days were in the 50s and one morning we woke to 39 degrees.
My hopes of getting on a charter with some good redfish action were dashed as I was informed by a local captain with Southeastern Angling that the water had dropped from 74 to 59 in two days. That, coupled with some big tides, had really shut the bite off, and I was better off waiting till next time. The professional honesty was refreshing and appreciated. Look them up if you’re ever in that area.
Before the front in the Keys, we were in the midst of some inshore action heating up. The tarpon thing is starting to get going around the bridges, both large and small. As long as the water temp is 75 or higher and there is some current moving, you’re in the game. Live mullet is the bait of choice on a larger circle hook, but a half laying on the bottom sometimes does the trick too. There have been large schools of mullet up and down the beaches that provide a National Geographic-type spectacle. Match the hatch (mullet) and you should sooner or later be hooked up to a tarpon, jack, barracuda or shark. Good times.
Various creeks, docks, cuts and canals have started getting lively too. Working these areas with live shrimp, pilchards or even a swim bait or top water lure with some dedication should yield snapper, jacks, redfish and even snook. Some areas are better than others on any given day, so cover some water till you find a honey hole.
With that being said, please realize that it is quite frowned upon, if not altogether prohibited, to fish under cleaning stations at marinas. This should go without saying, but it’s worth mentioning to newcomers. These places (like Robbie’s in Islamorada and A&B Marina in Key West, for example) have resident tarpon and other fishes that live under the dock and feed daily on the scraps from the charter captains’ filet tables. They are basically dock pets that are a huge attraction to people on the dock, kids and locals.
Trying to catch them usually results in them leaving and is just plain unethical. There are hundreds of other locations to fish, so please respect the resources and attractions that make this place special. Again, any restaurant, marina or cleaning station falls in this category.
Out on the reef, clear water has made things difficult. On the days the water is a little powdery, preferably with a steady westbound current, the yellowtail fishing has been very good. Fish from 12 to 20 inches are coming in steady in 40 to 80 feet. Keep the chum flowing and use small baits. Again, this will change daily with the conditions. If it’s clear, maybe try something else.
“Like what?” you say. Thought you’d never ask.
I’ve had multiple reports of some stud mangrove and mutton snapper coming off the shallow patch reefs and even in Hawk Channel. Bounce around on the anchor until you find some action. Anchor and chum and sit a live bait or half of fresh ballyhoo on the bottom in the back of the slick. Ignore the nibbles and wait for the thump! There are still some cero mackerel in those areas that are going to want a live pilchard or ballyhoo on a light wire.
If that doesn’t pan out, you can also try trolling. Diving Nomads at 6 to 9 knots and wire-rigged ballyhoo with a skirt or chugger in front have been catching wahoos and occasional tuna and rogue mahi. Focus from 150 to 500 feet of water. Permit are showing up in larger numbers on the deep spawning spots and should start biting better in the next week or two. This is a catch-and-release fish, but a spectacular one. Crabs and shrimp are your only hope.
Good luck, and c’mon back!
