During the spring blitz, nearly every species available to us will be on the scene, so now is the time to get geared up and ready.
| Correspondent
A lot will be happening in the next few weeks with the onset of warming spring days and water temperatures. Offshore, huge schools of bait fish will be working their way north with a whole gamut of pelagic species hot on their tails. King and Spanish mackerel, cobia, mahi, many large shark and others will be in the mix. A little later on, tarpon will join the fray as well.
Inshore, schools of extra hungry flats fish, having spent the winter in deeper inshore waters, will be returning to the shallow flats and feeding heavily. Some, as the snook, will be feeding heavily ahead of a late spring/early summer spawn.
During the spring blitz, nearly every species available to us will be on the scene, so now is the time to get geared up and ready.
New flounder regulations
On March 1, the new flounder regulations go into effect. The main changes affecting recreational anglers are:
1. An increase in minimum size from 12 to 14 inches overall.
2. Bag limit of 5 per person/per day.
3. A closed season from 10/15 through 11/30.
For complete regulations including commercial changes, go to MyFWC.com/Marine/flounder regulations. Snook season reopens in Gulf state waters on March 1 but the FWC Catch/release order precludes any harvest in our area.
Redfish tournament slated in March
Coming up in mid-March, a catch-and-release, fly fishing only, red fish tournament with an optional snook calcutta is slated to benefit the Tampa Bay Waterkeeper organization. The Waterman Fly Fishing Tournament is a two-day affair on Saturday, March 13 and Sunday. March 14. Complete details can be found at tampabaywaterkeeper.org and click on events.
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