Spring fishing is blooming now

March was windy, as we expected. Will it calm down for April as advertised? God only knows. Whatever the wind is doing, spring fishing is fantastic. Local waters are currently clear of red tide. Our water will clear up if winds back down and sand settles out of suspension. They are dredging Stump Pass now, so please be careful navigating the area around the equipment.

Spring migrations are beginning to show up. It’s strange that baitfish minnows are challenging to find so far, but the fish are hungry. Live shrimp are expensive and a pain to purchase due to limited supply and large demand, but are very effective. The shrimpers are catching all they can, but deliveries encounter heavy traffic that slows them down. Minnows could move into local grassy areas any day, but only time will tell. Make time to go fishing now before it gets too hot.

I’m finally getting out on the water more and enjoying it. Spring break is my favorite time of year as kids are here excited and ready to fish. Children are easy to please if you understand them, as they have short attention spans and are excited to encounter dolphins, manatees, fish and most birds. It’s important to catch fish, any fish. Just understand that even smaller trout and ladyfish produce beautiful happy smiles, and priceless happiness to capture and save in photos. We found a few bigger jacks one day last week, five pounds each. They tested the children’s strength, making them proud of their accomplishment in landing them. It’s not like most adults that just want snook — kids enjoy a bent rod. Please remember this if you have new anglers, especially children. Move if you don’t get immediate action.

Mackerel migrations are overdue. Will they move in, or have they passed us already? I don’t know. We had some fish between blows, and some are already showing up off the Tampa Bay area. I like to be optimistic. If we don’t have baitfish schools to attract and hold fish, they have no reason to linger. Let’s hope the minnows show up and hang around. Spanish mackerel are so much fun and excellent eating if iced immediately and eaten fresh. You can broil, fry or grill as you choose. I like to filet them and place them on foil, then sear quickly under a red-hot broiler for a couple of minutes, then remove briefly and coat with Duke’s mayo and return to hot broiler. Watch them closely until they begin to turn golden brown and then shut off the oven. Allow them to remain inside with the door closed for a couple of minutes depending on the thickness. Enjoy this moist, flakey fish.

Mackerel are usually abundant with liberal bag limits and easy to catch. Try trolling with Drone Spoons and planer devices that carry your offering down into the fishy zone. I like conventional rods and reels with 30-pound mono. Use long leader between spoon and planer. Most tackle shops can help you locate rigs and help set you up.

Look for bird activity or schools of baitfish to troll around. Do not troll through your fish. Try about 6 mph and enjoy the action. I recommend using rod holders while trolling. You’ll encounter other varieties of fish.

Let’s enjoy the opportunities while we can and go “fishin” soon.