Grass Flats, March Madness!
With El Niño waning and cold fronts diminishing, water temperatures are rising. Once temperatures reach the lower 70s, the grass flats come alive. As March progresses and temperatures continue to warm, more and more baitfish move onto the grass flats. Snook, redfish, and seatrout follow the bait to feed. It’s truly a magical time of year to fish in Tampa Bay.
Now it’s time to wean yourself off shrimp and start using scaled sardines. Even though you can start catching baitfish on most Bay area grass flats in early March, don’t count on all flats having it. March is a transitional month. There are days when I still have to catch my bait in water 15 to 20 feet deep. That’s why it’s important to always carry a heavy deep-water castnet and a lighter shallow-water castnet. You just never know! Once you’ve loaded your livewell, it’s time to hit the flats…