shad), glass minnows, and ballyhoo on the flats follow the needlefish as water temperatures in the Gulf and bays rise.
The appearance of scaled sardines, threadfin herring, and menhaden (a.k.a. The slow darting action is irresistible to fish with growing appetites. These baits rigged weedless on a worm hook or on a light jig head can be deadly when properly presented. There are many more, but these are some local favorites. Among some of the best are the CAL Jerk baits in both the 5.5-inch and 4-inch model, the Mister Twister Exude RT Slug, the 12-Fathom Slam-R, and the MirrOlure 5” Provokers, Lil’ Johns, and Soft Minnows. They are not user-friendly on a hook, but many substitutes in the form of soft plastics work as well. At this point, big trout, reds, snook, and more won’t turn down a needlefish! Usually from March through May, this rarely used baitfish can account for some monster fish, simply due to their availability. While not high on the food chain, they are what’s available. The first of baitfish to show on the flats can be found at passes, at creek and river mouths, and on points. Most winter days have very low water, but on warmer days approaching this spring with southerly winds, tides will run higher, pushing reds, snook, and trout up around oyster bars to feed, where crabs as well as shrimp and worms will now be on the menu. Tube worms also become exposed and reds will grub on the bottom for these as well. Shrimp that emerge from the warmed mud are quickly consumed. As the shallow mud flat water temps rise, so do the metabolic rates of the resting reds.
#FINDING NEMO FISH TITIES FULL#
The Menu: What are the fish eating?Ĭoming out of winter, Redfish will be found in backcountry areas on shallow mud flats that are exposed to full sun. So, when they’re on the hunt, so are we and finding out what they’re eating is our next clue. So, when going in search of more food, fish go on the hunt, looking for what’s available. You can usually find them in open but sheltered small bays with open flats, oyster bars, submerged and surface points, and areas within short distances of passes.Īs waters warm, the need for greater quantities of food, and more frequent feeding periods are normal.
The normal transition locations are at the mouths of rivers, creeks, and mosquito ditches. While many fish were holding in cold weather locations, quite a few never made that fall-to-winter transition, so they may be weeks ahead of the game when it comes to where they are now and where they will go. Most of these areas don’t have much water movement, so turnover by winds rarely cool water very quickly.īut this winter has been radically different. Bends in these creeks are the deepest areas and fish will hang near the bottom. Fish move into deep creeks where dark tannin-stained water retains heat from the sun. Normal winters will move fish into deep, dark, backcountry areas that are sheltered from wind, yet exposed to full sun, and up rivers where headwaters are spring-fed, and where an upwelling of ground water measuring 72-degrees will sustain fish even during the passages of the coldest fronts. Some are obvious, but some can be very subtle, and with not much of a weather transition going on due to our mild conditions, you’ll really need to pay attention to sense these very subtle changes so you can ultimately catch more fish. To reap the benefits of spring fishing, you’ll need to notice the signs indicating that the fish are getting into a different pattern. So, how does this affect our fishing as spring approaches…and more importantly, where will the fish be hiding? This year, you’ll have to look for the more subtle signs that fish are making their “spring transition.” As the days get longer, the fish get hungrier, which means it’s time to fish! Record warm temperatures have made for ideal fishing conditions. This winter has certainly been an unusually warm one in the Tampa Bay area, but nobody’s complaining here. Nicole Fink with a Tampa Bay grouper caught on a CAL Shad and released while fishing with Capt.
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