Hit The Beaches
Date: June 1, 2020
June is the month that I Love to fish the beaches. The snook spawn is in full swing, Tarpon are around in good numbers and Speckled Trout schools are abundant as well. All of these fish can be caught off the beaches and any of the passes in our area. I personally like to fish around the mullet key area but anywhere from Anclote down to Charlotte Harbor will be productive.
The snook will be patrolling the beach in the trough up to the break on the shoreline. I like to walk the beach and sight fish them using a white paddle tail or whatever lure I happen to have with me (usually a mirrodine). You can also target them in the passes, here I like to use a big bucktail jig. Live bait such as pinfish, grunts, threadfins and Greenbacks will all work as well. Be careful when fighting and handling these fish as they are spawning and are already stressed as it is.
Large Speckled Trout will be patrolling the beaches and nearby shallow flats as well. I like to target them with soft plastics rigged on a ¼ oz jighead but they will readily take live bait just as well. Look for grassy areas around the islands. You can also target them around the lights on most piers and docks.
Tarpon fishing on the beach can be very rewarding. I prefer fishing the beaches rather than the passes because it is less crowded and sight casting to the fish is pretty freaking awesome. With the water being shallower you will get more jumps from the fish as opposed to fishing the passes where the fish can dive deeper. If you can net up some Pass crabs these will be the bait of choice. Large Threadfin Herring live and chunked also produce well.
Don’t forget Gag Grouper will open June 1st, so after hitting the beach for your Snook, Trout or Tarpon try trolling some big lipped plugs around a short distance offshore and you might find yourself some dinner!