May is half over and Gag grouper season closes at the end of the month. It looks like there might be a short fall season for Gag we’ll just have to keep an eye on the NOAA Fisheries Service decision over the next few months. But right now there is an abundance of nice Gags around to keep us looking at our inshore spots and trying to pull these bruisers out of the rocks.
King and Spanish mackerel have made their presence in abundance. Lots of bait has showed up over the last three weeks and the mackerel have followed.
Schools of Pompano are showing up in good numbers along the beaches. Keep an eye out for the Crevalle Jacks, I’m seeing both the schools of the smaller fish and pods of the big fish are showing up too.
If you’re careful you’ll get to see some Tarpon, I’ve seen several pods in the last few days.
Inshore fishing is as good as it gets right now; the Specks are on the grass flats from Grand Lagoon to Hogtown Bayou in Choctawhatchee Bay and there hungry. Lots of slot sized Red Fish are available also. Work the sand next to the grass using gold spoons or weightless soft plastics. You’ll catch Flounder around structure of just about any kind using jig heads and plastic shrimp tails.
May is one of the best months to be fishing. So get out there and take a child fishing! Or better yet a bunch of children fishing.
Successful hunters and fishermen are precise observers of the world around them. They have to be in order to be successful.
Thanks for reading my fishing forecast, be safe out there and respect each other’s space. There’s a lot of recreational boaters on the waters this time of the year – be sure and give them a little extra room.J
Capt. Eddie