May On The Water
May is a month with warm weather, calm seas, and the potential for good fishing. The month brings a host of choices for anglers of all skill levels.
This is the time of year that gives anglers the best opportunity to hook into a tarpon, as they move into Southwest Florida waters by the thousands. Look for them a short distance off the beaches, around the Gulf Passes, bridges, plus throughout the inshore waters. Tarpons’ diet includes a variety of baits, however at times they will not eat anything you offer. Live baits including crabs, Atlantic thread herring, pinfish, and large shrimp are top choices and cut bait fished on bottom, including mullet, ladyfish, and catfish tails are tarpon favorites.
Sharks of all sizes roam the inshore waters, around the Gulf Passes, and offshore around schooling baitfish and reefs. Large hammerhead and bull sharks follow tarpon schools awaiting their next meal. Spinner and blacktip sharks are almost identical in appearance, and both offer an incredibly hard fight, often with a great aerial show. If you are fishing an area and hooking ladyfish or mackerel, you can be assured sharks are nearby. A chunk of ladyfish is sure to get attention, use a minimum of a foot or two of wire leader to prevent cutoffs.
Spanish mackerel is an underrated fish that gives an excellent fight as they are super-fast and strong. If iced down as soon as they are caught and eaten fresh, they are very good on the table. Good numbers of schooling mackerel frequent areas just outside or inside the Gulf Passes, around bridges, and artificial reefs within sight of land. Either trolling or casting silver spoons with a fast retrieve is the top method for consistently hooking mackerel. A short trace of light wire leader reduces cutoffs from their razor-sharp teeth.
Mangrove snapper is one of our tastiest fish and at times the most abundant. As waters warm, snapper in the Gulf of Mexico move closer to shore, plus many relocate to our inshore waters. What snapper lack in size they make up for in tenacity and food value, plus they may be the easiest fish to target. Many anglers catch their fair share from land while targeting bridges, docks, and piers. Live shrimp is the top bait, a small hook and light leader is necessary to fool their keen eyesight.
Good snook fishing continues through the month of May. Many are on the move, as they head to areas in and near the passes for their upcoming summer spawn. Snook can range in size from little guys barely over a foot long to big girls over 40 inches. While snook will pounce on a variety of lures and baits, live oily baitfish, including scaled sardines or pilchards, Atlantic thread herring, and grunts or pigfish are the top baits. Expect the best snook bite on days with strong tides. Snook season is closed.
For a variety of fish, nearshore artificial reefs are a great place. You may hook into anything from smaller fish like snapper to huge man-size goliath grouper and everything in between. An assortment of tackle from light to heavy, a variety of bait, and an open mind is the key to taking advantage of what these areas offer on any given day. Reefs are a great place to experiment and try different things while keeping your eyes open for unexpected visitors. Permit and cobia are common over many of the reefs. While cobia eat about anything, neither species often pass on a small live crab.
May will give us consistent days of great weather with blue skies and light wind. Our summer afternoon thunderstorm pattern will kick in so always keep an eye on the sky to stay ahead of an approaching storm. Good weather and the potential for great fishing, what’s not to like about the month!
To keep up on current fishing regulations, you can go to http://www.myfwc.com or download the Fish Rules app for the latest rules and regulations.
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.”
