Well, I think we are finally past our cold weather! It is still cool out in the mornings but hopefully no more cold fronts. As a result, the fishing has certainly picked up. I always said if you want to catch a slam, this is the month. Snook, Reds, and Trout are abundant this month. And if you want the Grand Slam with a Tarpon added in, you have a good chance.

The Snook fishing has definitely picked up in the Islands and finding the big ones along the outside Islands is getting more consistent. I do miss the days of catching 50-100 Snook per day, but still enjoy catching them. Hopefully we see an increase of fish again soon.

The Reds have definitely moved in and I have recently had some 30 fish days on these. They are mostly smaller 18-21″ fish but we did get on a school of 24-26″ fish the other day. It makes for some great fun, especially when you can see the fish.

As far as the Seatrout goes, they seem to be bigger fish this month. We released some 22″ fish last week. I try to let any big Trout go as long as my clients cooperate. The 15-19″ limit they have set are the better tasting fish for sure. They are scattered around the Islands and on the flats. The winds are the biggest factor for catching them right now.

Tarpon have been roaming all throughout the Islands and have been highly visible in most areas. They are definitely on that north trek and will be thinning out some more. But we always seem to have some around this month. I do see more boats every year targeting these fish. There used to be just a handful of guys fishing these fish, now you might see 15-20 boats doing it. We always try to give them a wide berth when we see them so as not to run through the fish they are targeting. Mutual respect on the water is critical these days. Especially with all the increased traffic.

Overall the fishing has been great and the weather has been awesome. Hope you are enjoying our slice of paradise! Good luck fishing! Capt. Mike Merritt

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Capt. Mike Merritt
Guide
(561) 252-4324
SnookFishing1@juno.com