With February behind us, so is the closed season on speckled trout. This month as the water heats up, look for the fishing to heat up also. Trout will become active and move onto the flats in search of food. It only takes a few warn days and nights to warm the water considerably. On warm days I would look for fi sh to be on the shallow grass flats or over sandy bottom warming in the sunshine. Early in the year, floating grass is generally not an issue and waters are clear making conditions great for fishing. It’s a good time of year to break out your top water or suspending jerk baits. Another option this month will be sheepshead fishing. Most agree that the time around the full moon is Marsh is the best time to target sheepshead. The near shore reefs and main channel markers are the best place to look for these fi sh. Th e most common baits are live and frozen shrimp or fiddler crabs. Sheepshead are bottom dwellers so fish your baits near the bottom. The art of catching sheepshead is somewhat of a guessing game. These fi sh chew or crunch their bait instead of striking it. You sometimes have to anticipate the bite. If you feel the line begin to tighten, begin to reel up and if you feel weight, set the hook. Sheepshead will give you a good fight and are fun to catch especially on light tackle. Off – shore, the grouper closure remains in effect through March 31st. If you’re not a winter fisherman then it’s time to get excited about spring fishing here in Horseshoe Beach. The next few months will provide some great opportunities for great fi shing both inshore and off shore. Be safe and have a good month on the water.

FORECAST BY: Capt. Gary Patterson
Horseshoe Beach Guide Service
Inshore – Off shore Charters
352 498-2017
Cell 352 210-2399