March 2024 - Spring Fishing Begins

Spring arrived early, and with it came warmer water temperatures and an influx of baitfish. Snook fishing began picking up in the bays and river mouths, where they started moving from deeper winter holes to shallower grass flats. Live pilchards and shrimp worked great, and artificial lures, like soft plastic paddle tails, also enticed plenty of strikes.

Redfish were schooling in 2 to 4 feet of water, with many fish caught on cut bait, live shrimp, and gold spoons. Speckled trout continued to bite well over grass flats, and topwater lures became more effective as water temps climbed into the mid-70s.

Offshore, kingfish were moving closer, and many were caught on slow-trolled threadfins. Nearshore reefs were loaded with mangrove snapper and hogfish, making for a productive trip for bottom fishing anglers.

🔹 Best Bait: Live pilchards for snook; shrimp under a popping cork for trout; slow-trolled threadfins for kingfish

🔹 Hot Spots: Terra Ceia Bay for snook; nearshore reefs for mangrove snapper; Egmont Key for kingfish