April is the month everything happens with the bait now abundant just about everywhere. Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, Trout, Tripletail, Sharks and Mackerel can all be targeted now that the temperatures are in the mid 70’s. Flies or artificials that are in the 2-3″ range and imitate a scaled sardine are without a doubt your best choice.
Tarpon have been consistent this month and will only get better as the water temperatures climb into the upper 70’s. Fly-fishing for this species is extremely productive but they can also be targeted by throwing artificials at rolling fish in the mornings and afternoons in river systems or deep basins. The mouth of Tampa Bay will have the largest concentration of fish in the next few months.
Snook have gone nuts with the arrival of scaled sardines and can be found on just about every flat, oyster bar, mangrove shoreline, or dock with good tidal flow inside of Tampa Bay. Small white flies with a little weight have been my go-to over the past couple weeks. Night fishing around the new moon phase has been excellent when fishing around the dock lights.
Redfish have gone from feeding primarily on crustaceans to exclusively feeding on bait. Now that the temperatures are on the rise, the sea grass has grown back which make it harder to sight fish during the day. It’s important to play your tides right so that these fish tail, which allow for optimal sight fishing situations with a fly rod.
Tripletail have been consistent inside of Tampa Bay, ICW and off the beaches on the crab traps. These fish are extremely aggressive but lazy. Your fly needs to be places up tide and close to the buoy for the best results.
