March winds are blowing. When they stop, check for yellowfin tuna on east side of Gulf Stream
Florida Today
Ready for a little March Madness?
I’m not talking about the college basketball tournaments getting underway for the first time since 2019. I’m talking about a strong passing front and some red hot fishing action as well.
Another front will whip up the winds and Sunday looks to be the worst of it. Until then, bluewater anglers have been able to get on the first runs of dolphin heading back north along the edges of the Gulf Stream. Closer to the beach, bluefish, pompano, mackerel, jacks and black drum are also schooling in 10-25 feet of water. Long casts from the beach may not reach the action, but kayaks, paddleboards and flats boats can.
Inshore, snook, trout, tripletail and redfish are being caught. Catch the reds and trout on the flats and around points of spoil islands and mangrove shorelines. The snook are around structure like dock pilings, seawalls and bridges. Tripletail will be on channel markers and buoys and will take a live shrimp.
Mosquito Lagoon
This is generally the best month for speckled trout fishing in this zone. Capt. Jon Lulay of 2castaway.com said the water is generally cleaner because of passing cool fronts and sight casting opportunities are better. Redfish, snook, black drum and jacks can be caught on a wide variety of live bait like shrimp or crabs, and artificial lures, like soft plastics or fly.
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Offshore
Snapper fishing is very good on days anglers can get to the reefs. Mangrove snapper, mutton snapper and lane snapper are biting in 40-90 feet of water. The spring run of mahi mahi has begun along the currents of the Gulf Stream. When winds allow, stream crossers have been finding blue marlin in with the yellowfin and blackfin tuna. Be sure to watch the weather closely to avoid being caught offshore when a front blows off the beach.
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Surf
Pompano are being caught in the surf 120 feet off the beach using sand fleas, Fishbites and Fish Gum artificial bait. Whiting and croaker are also being caught closer to the trough. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are being caught along Melbourne Beach on chrome spoons. Jacks and blue runners are also taking those spoons and jigs.
Sebastian Inlet
Capt. Glyn Austin of Going Coastal charters has been steering clients to catches of oversized redfish and snook. Drift the inlet with live croakers or jigs to get bites. Black drum, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and snook are being caught by anglers fishing from the jetties.
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Inshore
Trout fishing is best in 2-4 feet of water on grassflats near mangrove shorelines. Don’t be surprised to catch trout around structure like oyster bars, seawalls and channel edges where trout hang in the absence of grass. Redfish are being caught in canals and along drop-offs and edges. Black drum can be caught by bottom fishing with cut bait and shrimp.
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Freshwater
Bass fishing has been very good in area lakes as fish are coming off the beds following the new moon. Use topwater frogs and spinnerbaits to get reaction strikes near the beds.
Ed Killer is FLORIDA TODAY’s outdoors writer. To interact with Ed, friend him on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.
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