KATIE JO’S NATURE COAST ADVENTURES

from Coastal Angler Magazine | March 2023 | North Central Florida/Nature Coast Edition

TIES STATE RECORD

arch is here and I couldn’t be more excited for some consistent weather and warmer temperatures! Trout out on the grass flats, pompano and permit moving inside on the Nature Coast and sheepshead piling on up the nearshore rocks and wrecks. Not to mention, snook season opens as well! March is one of my favorite times of the year to fish and for a wide variety to entail a fun day on the water.

The trout will begin moving to the creek mouths and grass flats in abundance as many of our bait fish will be found in the areas. While trout fishing, you can expect to hook into a pompano, permit and even Spanish mackerel this time of the year. I use a 1/8-ounce brown in color jig head with a medium sized shrimp jigging across the bottom. I would reel it in it fast enough to keep the bait shrimp from eating it, but slowly enough for it to sink back to the bottom as I retrieve.

The sheepshead bite will continue to progress as they swim in large schools along rock piles and nearby wrecks. A 3/0 circle hook with a smaller sized shrimp along the bottom creates a great opportunity to be eaten. Mangrove snapper will also be found along these same areas as they move inshore for their spawning.

Snook will move towards the mouths of the rivers and on the outer islands as the water temperatures warm. A large mud minnow beneath a float offers a great presentation. My favorites artificial is the Rapala Xrap SXT-10. These fish are often reaction eaters and enjoy striking a vibrating lure passing by.

Our tide patterns will also be a noticeable change beginning in March. Many of our higher tides will be during the day surrounding the new and full moon.

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-Wedding & Graduation creeks vs deep in the creeks and have been pretty easy to target around shell and oyster beds. Cut mullet has been my go-to bait.

Hey, everybody. It's beginning to look a lot like spring. Water temps are on the rise and the fish are noticing!

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The flats are coming alive with silver and spotted trout, and they are gearing up for their spawn, and becoming very aggressive when you get into them. My go-to bait selection has been a 3.5 inch C&M Custom Baits Granny Smith paddle tail underneath a Four Horsemen Popping Cork. A 2.5 to 3 foot leader is all you will need. These fish aren't much deeper than 4 feet at the moment.

The Reds are starting to make their way to the mouths of the

Let's not forget, sheepshead are spawning just a few miles from shore. Grab some fiddler crabs, a small circle hook and go to town on some of your favorite nearshore structure.