This last week I have had several trips with anglers looking to tangle with some inshore species, mainly Snook and Redfish. The Reds have been a little picky, but the snook have been hungry with catches more easily counted by the dozen. Bait has been the key, large frisky whitebait will make the difference for you. Also, try to find clean moving water (green or blue, not brown) this time of year, as this is where you more likely find the large spawning females. Smaller fish are found in large groups, so if you start catching lots of 18-22″ fish you may want to move on if your target is 30″+ fish.

Catch and release fishing at its finest, and a very mixed bag with Snook, Redfish, Jacks, small Grouper, Barracuda, Trout, and Mangrove Snapper.

Tips:
Look for clean green or blue water this time of year. Fish close to shady spots and mangrove overhangs during still, high water. Move to fishing pot-holes and ledges in the slightly deeper water as the tide starts to move out. If you are fishing a dead low tide, look for the large females to be holding in the passes and off the beaches.

Speaking of beaches, If the weather cooperates (can you say…East wind please) there have been tons of fish on the beaches in the very early AM. dont hit these fish on the head, cast well ahead of them when they are moving and let them cruise over to your bait. White bucktails, soft plastic jerk baits, and rapala x-rap slashbaits in the ghost color have all been producing beach fish, but live 4″ white bait cant be beat.

This is a TERRIFIC time to target snook on the beaches with a fly rod in hand. The bait on the beach has been very small, in the 2″ range, so use small glass minnow like patterns and cast parallel with the beach, on the inshore side of moving fish and hang on!

Take care, and be safe out on the water.

Capt. Tom