You would be hard-pressed to find a time of the year when I am more excited to be outside on the water than right now. The transition from winter to spring is in alot of ways like the twilight before sunrise. Although it’s not spring yet, we can see it on the horizon and can feel the changes taking place. On land the signs are obvious, the grass is growing again, trees are budding, and wildflowers are popping up everywhere. Under the waters surface, although more subtle, changes are also taking place. The overnight arrival of pinfish on the flats, or schools of cow nose rays cruising in and out of the inlets, are all signs that life is returning to our little patch of paradise.
March is a great month to target several different species of fish. One of the most popular game fish to chase this month is spanish mackerel. Spanish mackerel are aggressive predators with a voracious appetite. They make a great fish to target for novices, kids, and anyone else who just likes the fast paced action they provide. Of the many ways to catch them, trolling is probably the most popular, followed by casting jigs or spoons into schools of them. Both ways will fill the boat in a hurry if you get on the fish. Schools of mackerel are usually found by watching for them on the surface, looking for baits schools getting harrassed from the bottom, or from birds on the surface.
Another cool fish to target this month is the sheephead. Sheephead are a completely different fishing experience and can prove to be quite rewarding and frustrating at the same time. Sheepies are a structure oriented fish that forages on shrimp, small crabs and crustations, barnacles, oysters and the like. They do not whoof their food down like many other species of fish but instead, nibble and mash their food up before swallowing it. It is a test of patience and feel to get honed into the right time to set the hook. I typically use either live shrimp or fiddler crabs on a #2 VMC circle hook with a split shot or on a Carolina rig. I try to match the amount of lead to the current and depth to try to present the bait naturally.
Redfish schools are a great target this month along the beaches as well as inshore on the flats. Big schools of redfish are cruising along the shoreline and in the troughs along the beach. Finding them requires a little bit of running but once you find a school it can be some really great sight fishing. Jigs, plugs, topwaters, and the like are great at enticing strikes even from the most scrutinizing fish. Fish on the beaches are rarely skittish and/or picky. On the flats redfish can be a little more resistant at times. The schools inshore are typically much smaller in numbers than on the beach, however, you can target them in a variety of ways that differ from the surf. its all fun either way.
Lastly, the speckled trout have been continuously trickling out of the bayous and back onto shallow grass and sand flats. Broken bottom has always produced the best fish in terms of numbers and average size. The bigger fish tend to be in shallower water, along the shoreline or in potholes, where mullet and other baitfish like to congregate. Topwaters are always a staple for speckled trout, but like most predator fish, they will eat a variety of offerings. Shrimp patterns are the next best choice when targeting specks.
If you have additional questions about what's biting, how to catch them, or you would like to book a trip of your own, I encourage you to give me a call or shoot me an email.
Good Luck
Capt. Nathan Chennaux
Jdgafinshoreangler@gmail.com
(850) 258-7235
