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It's time to get aggressive
By MIKE SCARANTINO Do you feel it? About a week ago, spring tides turned in favor of the angler. Gone are winter's inconsistent weather patterns. Anglers who were wondering what to do or where to find fish now will find it easier to establish patterns. Spring is renewal time for all species. Luckily for anglers, fish are aggressive this time of the year. They're aggressive when they feed, when they strike, and most enjoyably, when they fight. Tides have rose since the vernal equinox March 21, and coupled with warmth most species have been aggressive to bait fish. As water temperatures rise, so will activity levels in all fish. Snook everywhere are leaving their winter haunts and heading to their summer mating grounds. Big trout, mostly females, are in a breeding cycle. Redfish who are nearing sexual maturity will be leaving the estuaries for their permanent offshore homes. All are filling their gullets to the brim, so it's easy pickings for anglers. Schools of scaled sardines and threadfin herring (whitebait) began arriving a few weeks ago. At first, they filtered inshore a few at a time. Now they are thick in a number of areas but still resistant to the pressure exerted by predatory fish, birds and the sounds of motors and nets hitting the water. Often when seeking scaled sardines early in the season, anglers must be on the bait grounds at first light. Once high traffic patterns develop in those areas, schools might split up or move off to deeper locations seeking shelter from the commotion. If the sun gets too high behind an angler, he or she might find it difficult luring bait to the chum. Many times during the early going, anglers will have to round up schools of bait fish while throwing their nets from the bow of underway boats. This precarious method, called rodeoing, requires keen powers of observation, balance and net-throwing skills, not to mention boat-handling skills. Spring is the perfect time for sight fishing. Inshore waters are clear, leaving schools of fish easy to spot. Polarized glasses are a must. Once the rainy season arrives, water will not be as clear. Spring is a good time to record productive spots in a journal. Comparing those notes with available biological information about favored species will make calculating their movements through the season easier. As for the size of the bait used, bigger is better. Predatory fish are searching for large, high-calorie meals to replenish lost stores of fats and oils. They will need those stores to make it through the rigors of mating. When outfitting for spring trips, be aggressive. Go to heavier line and leader material. The largest fish are the ones to eat first. Many anglers choose to keep one rod rigged with heavier line and leader when fishing for snook, and a lighter rig for smaller species such as speckled trout and redfish. One-piece rods tend to outperform two-piece rods when fighting oversized fish. Remember to keep the tip high overhead when fighting a fish in shallow water. Fish know their territories well, including every rock and snag in the area. They will try to sever the line by running through treacherous areas. One fatal error made by inexperienced anglers when fighting big fish on light tackle is to reel over the drag. This creates twists in the line which reduces the breaking strength. Once the drag is engaged, the angler should not reel but arch the rod backward, exerting as much pressure on the fish as possible. Never jerk the rod backward when a fish is pulling away. Remember, 10-pound test line is light. As long as the rod is overhead and pressure is being applied, turning a fish is possible. Once the rod is back as far as it will go, drop the rod without reducing tension and reel up the slack in a pump and reel retrieve. Spring is the time to get aggressive, catch a bunch of large fish and learn that well-honed skills catch fish.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
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