IN NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA

39 West Hwy 40 Inglis, FL 352-447-5610 www.CaptainsCoveOutfitters.com

DW&D BAIT HOUSE 12831 Whiddon Ave Cedar Key, FL 352-543-6109 352-222-9383

44 TACKLE CO. 1522 US 41 North Inverness, FL 34453 352.726.6100 www.44Tackle.com

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OCKLAWAHA BAIT & TACKLE 13600 East CR 25 Ocklawaha, FL 32179 352-816-5853

STARKE LANDSCAPE

I 469 S Walnut (US Hwy 30 I) Starke, FL 3209 I 904-964-3 I I 2 www.StarkeLandscape.com

We are coming out of a wild Winter/Spring, hot one day and cold the next. As things start to consistently warm up, I’ll be looking for redfish on shallow flats and in the creeks, that have a darker mud or oyster-laden bottom. On clear days, the sun will warm the water a few degrees in those areas, making a great spot for the reds to hang out and warm up a bit. Bait (mullet, minnows, shrimp) will also hold in these "hot" spots and its common knowledge that the reds will be in the same areas the bait is. There hasn’t really been much bait around as of late, so if you find an area that is holding some, you can be sure there are some redfish close by. Sight-fishing for reds has been a little hit or miss this year, again due to the weather. The water has been murky, due to warmer than normal conditions, and if it continues to warm up quickly this month, the water will get murkier as the algae starts to bloom. Not to worry, you can still “sight” fish. One way to spot schooled up reds is to look for wakes or "muds" caused by the fish moving. I've been locating some big schools this way over the last couple of months.

April is my favorite month of the year to fish for trout. Once the water starts to warm up a bit, the trout will be going crazy. There's nothing like watching that big momma trout come soaring out of the water after your top-water plug. Creek mouths, rip rap, and just about moving water anywhere, are going to be great places to target the specs. Remember to loosen the drag just a little when throwing top-water plugs for trout. They have somewhat delicate mouths, and you don't want to rip the plug away from the fish before they get it. Of course, if topwater isn't your thing, a jig and soft plastic will do the trick for the specs as well. My go-to rig of choice for trout (and reds too!) is a Saltwater Assassin 1/8-ounce jighead with a Saltwater Assassin paddle tail. Jig, jig, then pause-- then repeat. Just remember to release those big trout, as they are breeders and letting them go to make some babies is a great thing for our fishery!

The sheepshead bite has been steady this winter and spring, and should continue into late spring. Fiddlers and oyster crabs have been the best baits. Just about any structure with barnacles on it has been holding some “heads”.

The black drum bite has been pretty good over the last couple of months and should continue this month. Most of my fish have been in the 3 to 8 pound range and were caught in the deeper parts of the creeks off the ICW. The best baits have been live/fresh dead shrimp, or a fiddler crab. An hour on either side of low tide has been producing the best bite, especially around the new and full moons.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Tommy Derringer www.InshoreAdventures.net

904-377-3734

Thismonth looks like the best month in a long time for pompano. In mid-March, we were catching them from Little Talbot Island, all the way south to Flagler. At the same time, my friends down south, Melbourne to Jupiter, were catching big keepers. So, before the hot days in late May drive them north, lets go to the beach!

Keep your tackle simple, but be prepared to make long casts, especially on flat beaches on a high tide. My go-to, is a double dropper rig with two 2/0 Eagle Claw circle hooks. A three-to-five-ounce sputnik sinker on the end. How much weight you ask? Enough to cast where you want to be, and then enough to hold it in place.

When it comes to beads and floats, I can tell you this for sure. I have been catching a lot of pompano since the mid 1970s and then there were no beads and floats on our rigs! None, and we caught a lot of fish. However, now all my rigs have beads and floats. I have over 100 different combinations of little and big floats. Also, a lot of different beads both in plastic and glass. With that said, my favorite by far, is a white float on the top hook and an orange tangerine translucent bead on the bottom. Why? The white float is the size of a sand flea and lifts the bait off the bottom. It also makes them wiggle in the current. The tangerine orange bead is the color of sand flea eggs. Boom! You will not scare a fish away with that color combo!

Loosen your drag when you put it in the rod holder. There are some really big black drum in the surf right now. Last week, I had one on for a few minutes. At first, I thought it was a big ball of seaweed or a plastic garbage bag headed south with the rip current. Then I felt that big tail kick in when it’s belly touched the sand. One big run and he straightened out the 2/0 circle hook!

This could very well be the best month for the pompano run and HUGE whiting. From Fernandina to Flagler, it is go-time! 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