SWFL Fishing Forecast for April, 2018

Well February came and showed us what we should be experiencing in the Spring. Then March showed up and decided it wasn’t quite Spring yet. So lets hope April will be more like what we normally see during the Spring here in sunny South West Florida. The past few weeks our water temps have been like a roller coaster. Things where starting to warm up, and the fishing was trending in the right direction. Then Mother Nature showed up with some cool weather. We had several cold fronts stacked on top of one another push through our area. With night lows in the 40’s for a week, our water temp dipped back down into the mid 60’s. Looks like the cooler weather is a thing of the past, so we can get back to focusing on great fishing.

After a weird winter the Snook bite is really getting into full swing. April is the month these guys really put the feed bag on. This time of year Snook can be targeted in many different locations. The most popular being the flats. The fronts off islands close to creeks normally holds good amount of fish during the spring. On the higher tides look for them to be holding close to the mangroves. As the tides drops the flats and surrounding pot holes will be your best bet. Another great place to locate hungry fish, although not my favorite but very effective. Residential canals will be holding lots of fish. During the cooler months the canals play host to a large number of fish seeking deep water. A large number of these guys are still hanging around. The biggest problem is the almost endless canal system. So you might have to do a little looking, but you should be rewarded.

Warmer water will also bring plenty of bait back in the harbor. Over the past few days I have been seeing a lot more birds diving. On calm days you can see the large schools on the surface. For the most part we have two major schools of bait that moves into the harbor. We have threadfin herring that are normally found in deeper water. These guys are great bait, but have their faults. The biggest problem is they’re hard to keep alive. The biggest problem is people try to put to many in the live well. If you don’t over crowd your well they will keep for several hours. Our most popular bait is scaled sardines, or pilchards. These guys are commonly found on the shallow flats. You can chum these guys up, which makes them easier to catch. Also they live a lot better in your well. Normally you can get a full day of fishing out of them. Whether its herring or sardines the birds will point you in the right location. Just remember to be courteous to other boats around you.

To experience some of Charlotte Harbors best inshore fishing give me a call or send me an email, and we will customize a charter that best fits you and your parts needs.

You can also follow me on Twitter @ backbayxtremes for daily and weekly updates.

Captain Dave Stephens * (941) 916-5769 * Back Bay Xtremes * PO Box 510746, Punta Gorda FL 33951

Flats Fishing Charters for Charlotte Harbour, Punta Gorda, Florida