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Updated 4/14/08
It's All Here
This Month!
by Capt. Matt Mitchell
April is one of my favorite months to fish our waters. Any
species you could want to target is here right now.
Big spring high tides all month are the perfect set-up for
beating the bushes for snook and reds. Calm mornings and warm
water make ideal conditions for chasing the early season tarpon.
Mackerel, cobia and tripletail can be stumbled on both in the
bay and gulfside. Sharks, ladyfish and trout can be found on any
deeper flat.
This month just take what it gives you and move on to the next
species. |
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Snook are spread out right now and can be
found from back country creeks all the way out to the beaches. Tarpon
can also be found just about anywhere too, so keep your eyes open for
rollers and freejumpers.
To take full advantage of our fishing this month take a wide variety of
tackle and baits because you never know what you will end up running
into.
Tarpon are really starting to show up in larger numbers and in places I
don't recall ever fishing for them. One day mid-week on my way to Punta
Rassa via the B span, I saw three different boats all hooked up on
tarpon. Other areas that held rolling tarpon this week were from the C
span to marker #4 and the mudhole from markers 16 to 20.
Out on a tarpon charter last week with longtime clients Zig and Donna
Black from New Jersey, we had an OK day going one for three on silver
kings. The tarpon all ate pinfish fished under a float.
Zig has been on many tarpon trips with me and, after hooking many, has
yet to close the deal. Donna ended up hooking all three fish on this
trip with the one landed being the real heartbreaker.
After Donna jumped her second tarpon while drifting her bait on the same
side of our anchored boat, I tied her on new rig and had Zig throw to
that same spot hoping he would get a hook-up. Putting Donna a fresh
pinfish on the hook, I cast her rod to the side Zig had been fishing
without success for over an hour.
No sooner did her bobber hit the water and it was on. The frisky
70-pound tarpon made three awesome jumps going away from the boat on its
first 150-yard run. After a 20-minute fight the tarpon came to the boat.
Later in the week, fishing with Art and Sam Coffey from Indiana, we had
a great morning of snook action. Every spot we fished produced at least
one snook. Sam, nine years old, caught a 31-inch snook which turned out
to be the biggest one of the trip.
Mangrove islands in and around the mouth of the river fished on the high
incoming tide produced the most consistent action on snook. Whitebait
was certainly what the snook wanted that day with them chasing it around
and often up to the boat before finally popping it and taking it on top.
Click the links below to view copies of my other recent reports.
03/17/2008
- 03/24/2008
- 03/31/2008
- 04/08/2008
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