It’s been a winter for the books, with cold temps, constant wind keeping us from the offshore grounds weekend after weekend, and sometimes too much rain. So, let’s talk about what brought a lot of us to the dance: like the anadromous (migrate up rivers from the sea to spawn) fish that come home in March.
If you live on the east coast, white and hickory shad, striped bass, and sturgeon are coming back to the place they were born to spawn again. In addition, March is traditionally a very windy month, so there is a haven upriver for some entertainment on the days we can’t get offshore. These are genuinely some of the best memories I have.
While not the best table fare, white and hickory shad are right up there at the top of the entertainment list. Other fish that have always been at the top of my favorite March, April, and May entertainment list are striped bass (rock) and blue cats. They will come back in the river’s upper reaches to spawn in large numbers.
The early part of the month will have COLD water temps around the inlets and river mouths and keep the trout, drum, and flounder a little on the sluggish side, but that doesn’t seem to bother the shad, rock, and cats.
On the contrary, it kicks them into overdrive. It’s not water temperature so much as it’s the length of daylight at the beginning of the month, but water temps do come into play by the end of March.
The end of March will see the big spawning female speckled trout arriving at the inlets and river mouths, and the drum bite will be on fire. It’s the time of year when you stand to catch an egg-filled gator (female) trout, but for goodness sakes, take some good photos and dimensions/weight and let her do her spawn. It can also be the time of year for some great topwater/popping cork trout and drum bites. There are bites, and then there are topwater bites; it’s exciting fishing.
March will also produce the tuna, dolphin, and wahoo when we can get to them. The wind will keep us inside a lot during March, but whenever the seas will lay down enough to get offshore, go for it. It’s the time to catch a stud wahoo and tuna in numbers. Find a temperature break and bait, and you’ll find the wahoo and tuna. They are on the move and chewing.
I don’t care what the wind is doing. I can find somewhere to get a bite and grin in this turn-around month we call March.
For smaller freshwater fish try:
Size #6: Target fish include Panfish including Bluegill (Bream), Sunfish, and Crappie. Also great for Trout, Carp, White Perch, and more.
For larger freshwater fish try:
Size 1/0: Target fish include Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Larger Trout, Carp, Walleye, and more.
Barefoot Jig: Target fish include Trout (speckled and gray), Drum (red and black), Flounder, Striped and Hybrid Bass, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye and more!
For larger catfish fish try:
7/0 Catfish Circle Hook: Target fish include Blue, Bullhead, Channel, Flathead, and White Catfish.
SALTWATER TACKLE YOU MAY WANT TO TRY:
7/0 and 11/0 J-Hook Chin Weights: Target fish include Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi or Common Dolphin, King Mackerel, Wahoo, and more. Easy to rig!
4 oz. Crab Decoy Jig: Target fish for Striped Bass, nearshore Drum, Snook, Grouper, west coast bottom fish, and more.
4 oz. Tuna Squid Decoy Jig: From the eastern, western, Alaskan, and gulf coasts, target fish include: Tuna, Dolphin, Wahoo, Fluke, Flounder, Striped Bass, Seabass, Amberjack (east coast), Yellow Tail (west coast), California White Sea Bass (west coast), Grouper, Snapper, Halibut, Ling cod, and all Alaskan bottom fish.
8 oz. - 12 oz. 10/0 Squid Decoy Jig: Catch BIG Grouper, Amberjack, Giant Stripers, and more.
