Winds causing woes

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

So far, the month of March has lived up to its reputation of coming in like a lion.

Strong winds have made it difficult for inshore, surf and offshore fishermen. Luckily for inshore fishermen, they can usually find places that are somewhat protected from the wind. Fish the leeward side of the wind and you’ll be fine.

Surf fishermen are OK as long as the wind is coming out of the west. The west wind tends to lay the surf down. Offshore fishermen are affected by all strong winds no matter what direction they come from. It makes for rough seas that can make venturing offshore dangerous, especially for smaller craft. Let’s hope that March goes out like a lamb.

Speaking of offshore fishing, I’ve been getting reports of cobia 15 miles south of Port Canaveral. This means they are migrating their way up the East Coast.

When the big manta rays show up, the cobia will be with them. Their arrival in this area depends largely on water temperature, which needs to be in the 70s. Normally, they tend to show up in our area around the end of April or the beginning of May. With the warm weather we’ve had this winter, however, they may show up sooner. Start prepping your gear now so you’re ready when they arrive.

I’ve also gotten reports of whiting and redfish being caught in the surf. The reds have been slot size and are being caught on shrimp — whole frozen or fresh mullet and cut chunks of mullet. Chunks are best when a fresh mullet is used. It tends to release blood and oil into the water. These are two major things that attract fish.

The best chunk bait is fresh ladyfish if you can get it. I have caught several small ladyfish in the past few weeks that are perfect for chunking. I know a couple of guys who would get mad at me for not keeping them and giving them the fish, so I’ll just keep that under my hat for now.

Inshore, the trout action has been steady. The only problem is a lot of them are just under the legal limit of 15 inches. Live shrimp has been the ticket for trout and also has been good for catching redfish, flounder and bluefish.

Also, a quick story.

Last week, I was fly casting up toward the bank of a canal when, about I spotted what appeared to be a large fish 18 inches below the surface. It showed no interest in my fly. When I went to see what it was, it turned out to be about a 3-foot alligator.

He casually swam off.