March 15, 2006 -- Quit Teasing!

Finally get to feel the bottom! After the winter doldrums and stinky waders, spent most of the week wet wading the shallow stuff. With temperatures flirting with 100 degrees and a number of days in the mid nineties, the water temperature has hit the mid 70's a couple of times. Sunburned and happy I am ready for the podding reds to move up shallow and start waving their little blue surrender flags.

The warm weather has definitely begun to wake up mother nature. Seeing signs of a brown shrimp hatch and the birds are starting to work deeper water. Found a number of schools of reds under laying birds with some trout mixed in. The red top water bite has been incredible in thigh to waist deep water with a few trophy trout thrown in for a mix. We are also experiencing a good flounder bite up north as well.

On the brightest note, days mother nature allows us offshore the fish have definitely awakened. A number of mid-sized jacks and a ton of bonito on fly. Some signs of tarpon and one hook up down south and west. The year 2006 is looking to be a banner year for reds and tarpon. The bigger fish are showing up early and hungry and I have already released a great number of oversized reds on both fly and dare I say a conventional rod.

Look for bay fish to start following a 70 degree water pattern, real shallow early moving to the first drop later (For us thigh to waist deep). Mother nature will be testy and test us with 30 mph winds on a daily basis with bluebird skies chased by quick little squalls that could catch you off guard. Keep a mid weigh fleece on board at all times and watch the weather forecast before hitting the water. And remember, if you want to beat the wind start early!