This happy youngster caught this nice red on a cold February day with Capt. Gus Brugger.

I love fishing in March, because it’s time to target mangrove snappers. I can remember almost knocking my mate on the ground as we raced to the live well for another cigar minnow, because the bite was so red hot! You knew that you were going to get bit within 20 seconds after your bait hit the bottom. Outside of Sebastian, the most productive snapper grounds are the ledges of the offshore bar, and a big part of your success will depend on your ability to find the right bait. Nothing beats a cigar minnow, but they’re not always available. The next best thing is what we call silver bait, and these include threadfin herring, sardines and pilchards. The ledges on the high bar are a great place to look for the mangroves. Don’t overlook the possibility of chumming the mangos up to the surface. It’s a blast catching them on light tackle.

Chumming the waters this month can bring more to the surface than mangroves. It’s just weeks before our first big run of dolphin. Watch for them to start showing up at any moment, and when the big push comes through you want to be in on it! A lot of my customers regretted missing out on the great cobia fishing we had in February. The dolphin are coming, so don’t miss the boat. Try menhaden oil, set up in an I.V., along with a chum block, as you bottom fish, and you may enjoy dolphin, kingfish and the occasional sailfish to keep things interesting. Watch out for those pesky red snappers mixed in with the mangroves eating up your chum.

Trigger fish and sea bass should be thick, and don’t think that we have seen the last of our cobia for the year. I had reports of another big group of rays up north that were slowly working their way down to our area. I can’t tell you how cool it would be to fish for the cobia in clear and calm waters.

It’s spawning season for grouper, so heads up while targeting mangroves. I’ve caught a lot of grouper recently, and I can tell you it’s a trip tossing a 20 pounder back over the side. If you find yourself in the deep water, the amberjack fishing is great this time of year. Just remember - BIG BAIT - BIG FISH.

Capt. Bill Stewart
Operator of the Rogue Wave Mini Party Boat
Sailing daily out of Capt.Hirams Marina in Sebastian
Phone 772-388-2950
www.roguewavefishing.com