Gulf of Mexico

Close up of a Mangrove Snapper's headSpringtime is the perfect time for fishing!

Action on the bottom for red grouper, lane snapper, mangrove snapper, and other reef fish can be expected to be good this month, while the onset of spring brings several other options as seasonal fish move into our area.

Spring mackerel runs usually happen this time of year and involve swarms of Spanish mackerel all along the coast, though often concentrated around the inlets and the shoals just offshore. The larger king mackerel sometimes venture into the inlets, especially Boca Grande Pass, but are more likely to be found further offshore. The location of the best fishing varies and might be as close as a mile offshore in 20 feet of water, or as much as 30 miles offshore in water depths closer to 100 feet. The color of the water, the presence of baitfish schools, and a few other things we don’t understand can affect where the kings are running and this can vary greatly from one week to the next. Good intel from fishing buddies or from area tackle shops like Fishin Franks and Downtown Bait 'N Tackle can help narrow your search.

Other fish will mingle with the mackerels and it’s not uncommon to find big jacks, barracudas, and sharks chasing the same baits as the mackerels. Fishing around offshore wrecks and artificial reefs gets interesting this time of year, since barracudas, mangrove snappers, Goliath grouper, and permit all assemble on these sites.

 

Charlotte Harbor

Father and son with tarpon in the waterFishing in Charlotte Harbor heats up in the springtime! More and more baitfish appear in the harbor and this kicks several inshore fisheries into high gear.

Cobia is a good bet this time of year, but a word of caution: while some of these fish are large (up to 30 or 40 pounds) many will be just shy of the fork length minimum size limit and must be released. Visit MyFWC.com for current size and bag limits.

Tarpon will be around as well, and their numbers will continue to increase as the water warms. Look for schools of rolling tarpon around the mouth of the Myakka River and in the deep holes mid-harbor. Fishing for trout, redfish and snook will heat up too, just remember that snook and redfish are closed to harvest in this region.