Spring fishing forecast: hot
Betsy clayton boatingbybetsy@yahoo.com

Springtime in Southwest Florida - not too hot, not too cold.

The fish would say the same.

That means it's time to take a weekend morning or a day off from work, grab the rod and tackle box, and go.

The spring fishing forecast for Lee County is hot - not as in temperature, but as in prospects for action.

"Most of our fish are tropical fish, so when the water warms up, they start eating," said Capt. Steve Waugh, a lifelong Fort Myers resident and fishing guide who's on the water at least 280 days a year.

Hungry fish mean that April and May are prime months to be an angler. It's a time I look forward to each year. Now, The Fort Myers-Florida Weekly's spring fishing primer is here for you:

+Tarpon: The silver kings are what get blood coursing through anglers' veins in May, but the giant fish start showing up in April, too, depending on the water temperature. Already some have arrived, and you'll see them through the end of June.

The best adventure? Watch for them breaking water in the back bays or off Gulf beaches. The other option is to go into Boca Grande Pass and battle other boats. I say, skip that. Too tense and competitive.

COURTESY PHOTO Capt. Steve Waugh helps angler Nick Orr catch and release a 100 pound tarpon

Threadfin herring or silver-dollar-sized crabs of any species will entice the largescaled fish to bite. Float or freeline the bait. Then just wait for the action.

Average tarpon are 60 to 110 pounds. You can brag about a big boy once it exceeds 150 to 200 pounds. Remember: Regulations require catch and release unless you purchase a kill tag in advance of your trip. Also keep in mind that today a photograph and some measurements are enough for an expert to make a reproduction of your silver king for the office wall.

+Snook: Season closes May 1 and doesn't reopen until Sept. 1, but catch and release snook fishing is always fun no matter the time of year. (If you keep it, make sure it's in the slot of 27- to 34-inches when you're pinching its tail.)

Spring is good for snooking because the ferocious predators head toward the beaches. You don't need a boat to get one. Just walk and wade till you find a 6- to 8- inch drop off parallel to the beach. Or, if you're in a boat, just find a trough off the shoreline.

About anything works to get the snook biting: sardines, shrimp, crabs. And luck. I always say luck with the linesides is what it takes.

+Redfish: Look for them under the mangroves and brush during springtime's higher tides. Fish one hour before the high tide.

Any little baitfish or a Berkley Gulp - a natural product - will work wonders. Remember the limit is one per person daily in the 18- to 27-inch slot.

+Spotted seatrout: Look for the clearest water you can find over grass beds. Try for about 3 1/2 feet depth. That means it's easier for people in bigger boats to get the trout now, as opposed to the wintertime, when the gleaming gamefish school up in potholes in shallower water.

A good-sized trout is 22 to 27- inches, but one to write up north about is more than 28-inches long. Limit is four per person with a 15-inch minimum, and only one of the four can be more than 20 inches. They'll readily bite on Luv Lures, shrimp and shiners.

+Mackerel: If you like to eat smoked fish, get a smoker and hunt for mackerel in the springtime. Or, just fish for these Olympic-caliber fighters and then release them.

Spanish mackerel bite hard, pull hard and are off beaches now. Look for gulls diving on the surface, then troll with a Rat-L-Trap or similar lure. Or try a silver spoon or just throw bait. They're relatively easy to catch.

Don't brag, though, until you've landed a 24-incher.

+Shark: Again, like tarpon, my suggestion here is catch-and-release only.

But it's worth shark hunting just for the fun.

In May, in particular, the sharks are all over inland waters ready to fight and feed off the beaches. Use light tackle as you cast for them with cut bait or live bait.

Remember, when releasing sharks, be careful. Their bodies are elastic-like and they are quick. Cut the leader as close to the fish's mouth as safely and as quickly as you can.

Be pleased if you land a 2 1/2-foot to 4- foot blacktip, lemon or bonnethead. Start boasting once you've caught and released something longer than 5 feet.

+Mangrove snapper: This is a spring standby. Want lunch? Get some snapper fillets for a sandwich. Or want to keep the kids or grandkids entertained? Catch and release some snapper.

It's as easy as casting a live shrimp or small shiner up under the mangroves in an area where the water is running on an incoming or outgoing tide. Try someplace simple to get to such as Shell Creek or the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge for fun. n

- Betsy Clayton is a freelancer based on Pine Island and also is Lee County Parks & Recreation's waterways coordinator. Contact her at boatingbybetsy@yahoo.com