APRIL ON THE WATER
A month that has a lot to offer anglers across the coastal waters of Southwest Florida, April holds the potential for some of the best fishing of the year and great weather.
Spanish mackerel return to area waters both inshore and offshore. They are roaming in schools looking for food throughout inshore and nearshore waters. Look for birds working the water as mackerel push schooling bait to the water’s surface. Artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico may hold large numbers of Spanish mackerel, plus a few of their large cousins, king mackerel or kingfish. Groups of birds dipping to the water is a dead giveaway. Spanish mackerel are fast, hard fighting, and good on the table if prepared fresh.
Reefs in the gulf within sight of land hold a variety of fish on any given day. Good eating snapper, grunts, mackerel, and the last run of spawning sheepsheads, plus hard fighting barracuda, sharks, goliath grouper, and a big cobia or permit are all a good possibility fishing around the numerous public reefs.
Anglers can get a jump start on tarpon season and often locate schooling fish with little angling competition. May and June are the months that get most of the attention. Schools of tarpon are milling around waters off the gulf beaches ranging in depths from just off the 20 Soundings, Gulf Harbour | April 2025 beach out to 30 or more feet. Tarpon are moving inshore as well, as they are on the move and could appear anytime and anywhere.
Warm water brings numerous sharks to our area on the hunt for their next meal and a great challenge for willing anglers. Blacktip and spinner sharks are some of the most challenging fish to catch. Not only do they possess a great fight, but they also make violent jumps and they’re extremely fast. Many of the big spinners explode into such a wild spinning leap it’s difficult to keep them from exploiting the weak link in your rigging. A large spinner or blacktip will rival a tarpon for sheer power and fight. Also moving in with the tarpon are the hammerhead and bull sharks, the largest of which are hanging around the tarpon schools awaiting a fish in distress for an easy meal.
About every kid or young adult that goes fishing wants to catch a shark. It’s not always possible, but it’s good if you can match the size of the shark you target to the kid’s age. You get a young kid hooked up to a big shark and it may be more fish than they can manage. There are plenty of sharks of various species ranging in size from 3 to 5 feet, this is a great size for most kids. For that matter, it’s a good size for most adults!
With water temperature in the mid-seventies and above, the snook bite can be very good. Snook may range in size from little guys barely a foot long to big girls pushing 40 inches or more. Snook are on the move, as an ambush feeder look for them around areas with structure and good tidal flow.
Redfish also appreciate the warmer days and higher tides. A properly placed bait under the shade of a mangrove shoreline, dock, or around an oyster bar may result in hard fighting reds. More often than not, if you hook one redfish, more are nearby. Like snook, size can vary widely with the largest measuring over 30 inches.
Our largest sea trout of the year come this month as their spring spawn is in full swing. Trout over 20 inches are common with fish measuring 24 inches and above possible. Look for trout throughout the inshore waters with a grassy bottom, around oyster bars, sand holes and transition areas. Often the largest trout are caught while snook fishing.
Keep your options open as this is a month with so many fishing opportunities that it’s easy to start the day with one species in mind and get sidetracked with another. April is a month with good weather and the potential for great fishing, get on the water and take advantage of it!
Stay up to date with fishing regulations by visiting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission at http://www.myfwc. com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app on your phone. It has current regulations with pictures to help identify fish. If you turn on your GPS location the Fish Rules app updates to your location. In my opinion, it is more accurate and up to date than FWC’s website.
For charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service and “Catch the Action” with Capt. Bill Russell, call or text (239) 410-8576, website: http://www.fishpineisland.com, email: [email protected].
Capt. Bill Russell is a native and lifelong resident of Pine Island who has spent his entire life fishing the waters surrounding Pine Island and Southwest Florida. For the past 29 years, Bill has been a professional fishing guide who takes pride in customizing each trip to ensure everyone on board has a great time and will return again. Come join us and “Catch the Action.”
