SUWANNEE

Welcometo the month of March, here on the Northern Gulf Coast of Florida. March is considered to be the beginning of the spring season here along the Big Bend region of Florida, but Old Man Winter can hold on tight!

This year it's the beginning of the second week of February and the water temps are already in the mid 60s. This is a good sign for an early Spring if we don't get any strong late season cold fronts that keep the waters cooled off!

The redfish are getting more active as the water temps are rising. The fish are feeding more often and for longer periods of time as the bait becomes more plentiful. Like many anglers, one of my favorite baits is a gold spoon. This bait can be fished at different depths and speeds of retrieve. Most of the time, I like the ⅝ or ¾ ounce spoons, I like this size spoon for casting distance, and I find it easier to work up and down in the water column with a fast or slow retrieve; it just depends on the conditions! Also, in my area don't forget to use a silver spoon when the water gets clearer.

I also like to use an inline spinner bait with a FishBites Fight Club Lure like the 5-inch Brawler Jerkbait and 5-inch Dirty Boxer Curly Tail. I really do use all the colors, but the Hammer Fist, Haymaker and Knock Out are three that I use a lot when redfishing. Many times, the addition of the scented bait can be the difference between a good day, and a not so good of a day.

At this time of the year, you will still find many of the resident redfish in the Lower Suwannee River. As the waters in the estuary and bays warm up, many of these fish will move out of the river looking for an easy springtime meal! At this time of the year we also get a migration of redfish from the offshore waters into the bays, tidal creeks and Lower Suwannee River Estuary. These fish are easy to notice as they will be much lighter in color and have a bright aqua green hue on their tail and fins!

March is also a great time for speckled trout along the upper Nature Coast. Look for the trout to be close to deeper water and getting really hungry, as spawning season is approaching!

March is the beginning of spawning season for the sheepshead on the offshore artificial reefs and rock piles. Many of the "Suwannee Artificial Reefs" will hold sheepshead; it's just a question of which ones will be the best. Also, rock piles with sand and grass close by will attract spawning sheepshead. If you haven't tried the FishBites EZ Strip Baits you should! Until next time, be safe, Tightlines and Catchemup!

Captain Tony Johns | 352-221-2510 www.lowersuwanneriverfishing.com

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It’sjust an awesome time of the year to fish in Northeast Florida… Spring seems to be here early this year and this warmer weather will bring in the baitfish (mullet, pogies, etc.) and just about every predatory fish will be on the hunt for a good meal. Redfish will still be up on the flats, trout will be feeding along the ICW banks, and the drum and flounder will be stacked in the deeper creek holes. Just about everywhere you go, you’re going to run into some good fishing over the next couple of months.

Redfish will remain schooled up if the water temps stay on the cooler side. Look for the schools of redfish on the lower tide stages (especially on the negative low tides we get with a good west wind). I like to find flats that have somewhat of a deeper escape route for the fish. One of my favorite scenarios, would be a large flat on the edge of the ICW, that has a deeper area that drains into the ICW. The fish will stack up in those “drains” as the tide gets really low. If live bait is your thing, a mud minnow or live shrimp on a 1/4oz Saltwater Assassin jighead will be the perfect presentation to the schooledup fish. If you’re going with artificials, I like to use a Saltwater Assassin paddle tail on the same jig. Find the schools by looking for large wakes and/or “muds” that the fish will cause by moving around. Make sure to lead the fish by quite a bit as they can and will be a little spooky this time of year. You can also find some big schools of redfish stacked in the creek holes on the same low tides. Push back as far as possible in the creeks and find that last deep spot. Sometimes, the best bite can be in that last creek in the back, just as the tide starts to come in.

The next couple of months are my absolute favorite times of the year to target big trout. Trout will be turning on with the warming air and water temps. Toss your favorite top-water plug, like the Berkley J-Walker, at first and last light along the ICW shell banks for some great big trout action. Once the sun comes up a bit, switch to a sub-surface plug or your favorite soft plastic on a jighead. The soft plastic and jighead rig, account for a good number of trout catches on my boat this time of year. I like to use the twitch-twitch-pause retrieval method. The fish usually take the lure on the pause. Target creek mouths on the outgoing tide and the ICW shell banks on the incoming. Any kind of rocks, docks, or structure with moving water around them will also be holding some nice trout, and of course, the live shrimp under a popping cork sometimes can’t be beat.

This month is typically one of the best times of the year for black drum in our area. The monster drum (sometimes up to 80 lbs. +) can be targeted in the deepest areas of the ICW and in all the area inlets. A halved blue crab on the bottom is the bait of choice for these prehistoric looking fish. The big ones will be spawning, so make sure to thoroughly revive them to ensure a healthy release, so they can take care of their business and keep the drum population thriving. The smaller “slot” sized black drum can be found in the creek holes and near deeper water structure such as bridges and jetties. Live or dead shrimp, fiddler crabs, and clams fished along the bottom will all make for some great drum action.

Tight Lines!

Capt. Tommy Derringer www.InshoreAdventures.net

904-377-3734

March could very well be the best month of the year for pompano and whiting. The whiting were on fire all of February and some pompano started showing up in Ponte Vedra the second week of last month. Usually, the pomps do not show up until the water temp gets back up to 64 degrees. They are now here, so it is GO time!

My favorite bait is sand fleas, however they have been really hard to come by in this cool water. The best time to gather them is on a sunny 80-degree afternoon on a low tide. Look for them on, or just before that first trough drop off. Live clams are my next choice. They are easy to get at your local seafood market. If you do not know, every fish in the surf will gobble up a fresh shrimp! Back in the 70s, that is all I used. Think about it; no circle hooks, no beads, no floats and no double dropper rigs was the norm. Back then, we used small J hooks and a one inch long piece of fresh shrimp. So do not over think it. All you have to do is put a good bait in front of a hungry fish.

Now, where to put that good fresh bait. When possible, I put one short. Then one just inside the bar. Then one past the bar. If I catch two fish on the same rod, I will move all rods to that distance. Beyond that, I look for a sand bar that is just starting to have breaking waves. It does not matter incoming or outgoing. When the waves start breaking, it stirs up new food, i.e., sand fleas, Donax clams, ghost shrimp and small calico/spotted crabs. Since fish do not have hands, they rely on the waves to stir up their food. Hence, new waves breaking, equals new food for them. Target that area!

The double dropper rig is what I use 95% of the time. The only time I use the fish finder/sinker slider rig, is when I am fishing with the current in the run-out or in the inlet with swift moving tide. Hooks are the same on both 2/0 Eagle Claw L197. Do not get too caught up on beads and floats. Just remember, all you have to do is put a good bait in front of a hungry fish.

Now, get out there and catch them up! It is GO time! Spring has sprung! See you on the beach!

Noel Kuhn

43 years of surf fishing experience, surf fishing guide and long distance casting coach. Founding member of Florida Surf Casters club. 904-945-0660 www.TheSurfAngler.com