Tarpon Spring’s fishing guide, Capt. Rich Knox of Absolute Florida Flats Fishing, reports the spring regular weather has or at least look’s like it is going to level out, and get into it’s normal pattern’s. April is always a windy month but we’ve had so much high (mph) and westerly northwesterly winds with water getting dirty brown and the H2O temperature sliding up and down the barometer from 60*F to the low the low 70’s it has slowed the annual (pilchard) migration down a bit. There are day’s it takes 2 + hours to gather 50 whitebaits as we call them. having the whitebait along with some pinfish ad even a few select shrimp will get you through. The Snook and the big Gator Trout, know and are looking to eat these baitfish in a split second , if you get one near there zone it’s automatic, no hesitation, they will race fellow gamefish to eat these hardily, it’s what they want, and they know it is around. Redfish are not as particular they will eat a select shrimp in a heart beat or a good fresh cut-bait (best being mullet or ballyhoo). finally though the school’s of pilchards (whitebait) are beginning to show improvement with warmer day’s and some East to southeast winds. Snook, Redfish, Trout, inshore cobia riding on the back’s of stingray’s are starting g to show along with a lot of the pelagic species like Spanish Mackerel.
Snook are moving toward the beach’s many stop-off’s on the way are any kind of sand bar or rock pile from east to west. This pattern will continue for a few more week’s as they get ready to spawn. The Redfish are hugging the mangrove on the higher flood tides in and under over hanging brush, oyster bars are famous for locating a nice school of Red’s, these fish will be feeding heavily on the flood tides, crustations and baitfish alike (pinfish), and the big Trout can be found on main shoreline flats, look in the shallow potholes, on out to the barrier island’s, the biggest of the bunch will be in a foot of water laying up against the grass ! Light tackle spinning outfit’s spooled with 10 lb. braid and a 3to 4 foot shock leader of 25 to 3o lb. fluorocarbon leader tied with line to line knots, like the uni-knot, and a good 4000 size spinning reel will hold these bruisers with your drag set right.