Inshore
Sheepshead are definitely the number one target for most inshore anglers right now. It’s starting to get good so if you don’t have plans this weekend you might want to give it a try. As usual just get some live shrimp or fiddler crabs and look for them around structure.
Anglers have been finding a fair amount of redfish around deep docks, bridges, and a few on the flats near the river mouths. Live bait and artificial lures will both work just depending on the situation.
It sounds like the speckled trout fishing has been pretty good this week in the canals and bayous. If you’re looking for big trout you best bet is to look for them in the local bayous.
Offshore
Rough weather has kept most of our offshore guys at the dock lately, but the forecast for this weekend looks a little better so hopefully some people can get out there.
Don’t forget that red snapper, gag grouper, triggerfish and scamp beyond 20 fathoms are all currently closed. If you’re going offshore looking for bottom dwellers you can keep you’ll need to go after amberjack and vermillion snapper or go deep dropping.
Piers & Beaches
Quite a few sheepshead have shown up around Fort Pickens Pier. It usually doesn’t take very long for them to get picky around the pier so you’ll need live shrimp and fiddler crabs along with fluorocarbon leader and small tackle.
Now’s the time to hit the surf in search of pompano and you can expect for them to stick around through the spring until it starts getting hot. Sand fleas haven’t been an easy find on the beach so be sure to take some bait with you.
Freshwater
Reports from the local rivers have really varied from one person to another lately. Anytime now we should start seeing a steady bass and bream bite in the rivers and lakes. A variety of different baits will work for bass this time of year, but you always want to try soft plastics.