Spring is Beautiful
It has been a busy few weeks here at Tailhunter Outdoor Adventures and I am not complaining one bit. When you truly love what you do, there is no such thing as a bad day at work. Sure, there may be some slow days, but even those days are great when you are living your dream. March is upon us, which means Florida's quick spring season is also here. Weather is beginning to stabilize, with temperatures becoming warmer, skies turning bluer, and winds finally deciding what direction they want to blow from. This is the perfect time to come enjoy the best of what Florida has to offer. What do I mean by that? High temperatures from about 75-83, sunny skies, and ocean breezes. It make a day on the water comfortable and more importantly, active. In fact, it is so spring like here, that our fish and wildlife are a little ahead of their normal spring schedule. It truly is a beautiful time!
Clients wishing to enjoy the freshwater side of Florida will not be disappointed. This year continues to be one of the best shad fishing years we have had in a long time. Whether you prefer to target these fish with a fly rod or ultralight spinning gear, their numbers have been phenomenal. We've had plenty of double digit days, with many anglers getting 20-30 fish in a day; that's not including other species, just the shad. Crappie fishing has also been on fire, with full stringers of nice fish coming in and going to the fish fryer. As the month of March continues, the focus will turn to largemouth bass, which will start bedding in preparation for spawning season. These fish are extremely aggressive and working them with topwater flies or soft plastics is my favorite way to target them. This is a perfect time to target those large, double digit bass that anglers always dream of finding and catching. March will also start my bowfishing season. Tilapia, like bass, will start bedding and commencing the mating ritual. These wary fish are a thrill to hunt down and it truly takes serious stalking ability to be successful. Besides great fishing, this is also the time wildlife along the St. John's River offers spectacular views. So, if you prefer to chase things down with a camera, instead of a rod or bow, we can do that too.
The saltwater side of Florida will not be any less active and adventurous than the freshwater side. Fish will start moving from winter patterns into their warm weather patterns. What is the difference? For starters, it means they come out of the deep water holes and begin prowling the flats more often. It means the wonderful sight of tails popping through the surface of the water returns, fish start cruising shorelines looking for food, and the overall activity becomes much more predictable. Additionally, the schools start to break up, which makes for many more fish spread out across a flat and presenting more targets than we have had in recent months. It also means the return of warmer water fish: snook and tarpon to be exact. I was very pleased on a recent trip to see that our snook population was not completely decimated by the winter cold. While many guides were reporting seeing nothing but dead snook, my main area saw very few. Now that warmer weather has returned, I have found plenty of snook and they are just as hungry as ever. Surprisingly, I have also seen my first few tarpon of the year! Yes, they are a couple of months ahead of their normal schedule. While we may have a cold snap or two left, the snook and tarpon know where to find warm water for a few days and will be here from now until the end of summer. Big seatrout are also returning to the flats and hunting prey. Flip Pallot and I discovered a flat covered up in gator seatrout.
Unfortunately, they were as spooky as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Still, seeing the numbers we saw was enough to bring a smile to our faces. The waters are still clear and should remain that way. This is a great time to come down and enjoy some superb sight fishing conditions and get away from the cold temperatures up north. Really, the only drawback to our fishing right now is some wind. Anglers should be prepared to deal with winds, which can range from a light breeze to 15-20 MPH. It isn't impossible to fish and can actually make it easier to sneak up on some of the more wary species of fish. But, you must be prepared to deal with it in your casting and presentation.
This time of year also makes for some great photography trips. Bird life is still abundant, with many of the species remaining for another month or so, manatees are back, dolphins are teaching their youngsters how to fish, and the local reptile life is spending a lot of time in view. Add in some wild pigs, coyotes, deer, bobcats, racoons, otters, and more. It can make for a busy day behind the camera.Finding the wildlife can take a little work and local knowledge, but that isn't a problem; I enjoy taking photos as much as I do fishing.
Whatever trip you enjoy, this is a perfect time to come to Florida and enjoy it. You owe it to yourself and you won't be disappointed. So, stop thinking and dreaming about it and come join me for an adventure you can remember for a lifetime. BOOK YOUR TRIP NOW!
I also don't want to forget to mention that I still have a few openings left for the guided trip to Abaco Lodge. These spaces are on a first come, first serve basis. I am on target to be sold out of spots soon, so if you want to have a phenomenal trip to the Bahamas, don't wait! Reservations were limited to twelve and I'm down more than half of that now. This trip will be a great time of fishing, fellowship, and memories. We will be chasing bonefish, tarpon, permit, and more; enjoying life at a world class resort and fishing with some of the premier guides in the world. Check out the Hosted Trip to Abaco blog for full details!