March Madness on the Flats: Spawning Trout, Structure-Loving Snook, and Pompano Runs Light Up Naples Waters

March has flown on by with some outstanding backcountry/inshore action . This month around the Naples and Marco island area , I always see the gulf waters temps warming and this kicks in the sea trout spawn .  Look for these fish to be staging around current rips and eddy’s . A live bait with a split-shot (to get it down to the bottom )will insure a hard strike.

Make sure to take special care when releasing these fish as most of them are full of eggs. Snook and redfish have also been right in the mix and have been hammering the live baits(pilchards ) we have been offering .   The magic hours have been the last hr of the outgoing and the first hr of the incoming tides .

Try to cast your baits as close to the structure as possible and with a tight drag be ready to horse that fish from the structure .   Pompano have been showing up on the strong incoming tides. Drift with the current and cast  1/4oz( chartreuse or pink) tube jig tipped with a chunk of shrimp. These are some of the most tastiest fish in the gulf, so take what you need for the grill and release the rest catch another day. C u on the water !!!!

Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138