"Spring Break", do you hear that Mother Nature?  SPRING!!! We all need it and want it RIGHT NOW! In reality, we ARE heading in that direction but have a little while to go. Changes have begun however, and I have seen the fish starting to act a little more "spring-like" when the warm weather allows them to. 

Poling the flats this week was an eye-opening experience.  I actually "felt" something different, for the first time in a long time.  All of a sudden, that change was in the air.  No more going back to winter, just going forward to spring.  That was a great feeling, for sure as this winter has been the worst in my fishing memory.  I hate to complain about the weather because, in actuality, all of this cold and rain is going to do some terrific things for the fishing this year. When Mother Nature tells the fish to begin to eat this spring, they are going to be really hungry.  The rains will provide our bays with the capability to produce lots of crabs and bait.  What a perfect combination for a fantastic spring fishing season. 

Both reds and trout are venturing very shallow when they can, eating worms and eels.  Look for dark, black spots where you will find stingrays burying themselves in the muddy, sparse areas.  Chances are there will be a redfish or two lurking about, picking the worms and eels out of the loosened bottom. 

Schools of hardheads are already packing together and will also hold redfish on a consistent basis.  This usually happens a little later in the spring, so even the hardheads are jumping the season a little!

Continue to target those winter/early spring gigantic trout that hang around the spoil islands near the Intracoastal.  They will consistently hang out in the same places, so if you find them, keep going back until you catch one!  Try different lures, flies and presentations.  Pay attention to moon phases, tide movements, wind and current.  Putting together that magical combination when one of them will eat your fly or lure is a real science.  Those gigantic trout don't seem to eat very often, but the more you go and cast to them, the better your odds!

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