Check out the "Weather Links" on our website for the marine forecast, barometric pressure, tidal currents, and more.  Rivers are falling.  The local beach temperature is 77 degrees.  Live bait: we have shrimp and bull minnows for saltwater fishing, and crickets, wigglers, and earthworms for freshwater fishing.

HOTBITE~ Updated, 05- 09-2008, Friday evening

One angler spoke for many this week when he said: "weather is the only problem."  The spring days have been beautiful, but the wind has often made fishing difficult.  Expect fishing to improve when the wind lies down. 

Pompano fishing slowed, but a few are still being caught.  Two dropper "pompano rigs" baited with digit sized pieces of fresh shrimp is a good way for beginners to get in on the action.  Experienced pompano fishermen will no doubt go to their favorite techniques using live sand fleas, GULP! sand fleas, and pompano jigs sweetened with fresh shrimp.  Whiting, croakers, shark, redfish, trout, flounder, and spanish are among the variety of fish that may be caught in the surf this time of year.

Anglers are saying redfish have been "here today and gone tomorrow" in St. Joe Bay.  However, nice slot reds were caught  consistently on the bay side under the Highland View bridge and the flats beyond Port St. Joe.  Redfish were also hot over the oyster bars in Apalachicola Bay.  Gold spoons on an incoming tide are a good way to find fish.  Live minnows fished on Carolina Rigs caught fish.

At St. Joseph the word is "trout are all over the bay."  Live shrimp and DOA shrimp under a popping float have been effective.  However, you can bet your favorite combo that long time devotees to the excitement of top water fishing will not give up on their Top Dogs and Skitterwalks.  Drift fishermen were targeting 6 foot of water.  Wade fishermen believe they are more effective using their boats just to get to choice locations.  The old timers say trout fishing will peak for the year when they spawn with the full moon in May (May 20th).  So, plan to have that mysterious shoulder ailment about 5 days before to 5 after May 20th. 

Target the white sandy holes in the grass with jigs and your favorite soft bait for flounder in the bay.  Rootbeer color soft baits have worked.  Flounder fishing has been good in the bay this spring, especially around Blacks Island in the deeper holes and channels. This spring the spanish mackerel catch has been good but not great.  St. Joe Point, and the seawall in front of St. Joe Marina have yielded fish.  Tripple tail catches are reported around the buoys and markers at Indian Pass. 

Charter boats report that they continue to bring in good catches of a variety of reef fish, including grouper from federal waters and red snapper from state waters.  The problem with snapper in federal waters is that it is strictly catch and release until the federal season opens in June.  Captains report catching and releasing so many red snapper in federal waters that it is difficult to grouper fish.  Red snapper are being caught in 80-90 feet of water over hard bottom.   Some report that grouper fishing has been good "close in."  Others report they caught their grouper at depths of 100-200 feet, and big fish at even greater depths.   Live bait is the best way to go.

The hot bite offshore is the hungry king mackerel that are moving into their summer homes.  Live bait trolled slowly appears to be getting the best results at this time, but hard baits like the Mann's Stretch 30 (trolled a little faster~ 8-9 knots) is working.  Expect some nice spanish in the mix.  Cobia fishing continues to be productive.  Sightings have not consistently meant hookups though, as some of these fish have had lockjaw.  Experienced captains say it is worth while to check out the markers for cobia.    

In freshwater, this has been an excellent year for bass fishing.  The bite continues as they move off their beds onto the deeper edges.  Big fish lately have been in the 2-3 pound range.  Bream and shell cracker fishing have not been as good as recent years, perhaps due to the low water last summer.  Crickets are the bait of choice for bream, and wigglers the bait of choice for shell crackers.  These fish are still bedding, and the water levels are good.  

"HOTBITE!" is compiled by your fishing friends at Bluewater.

MAY PLANNER

There is reason to call May the best month of the year for Port St. Joe anglers.  Good weather becomes the norm as cold front activity lessens.  Summer heat is not a problem.  Water temperatures climb into the mid and upper seventies.  Thus, the fish bite improves.  Wading and kayaking anglers become more numerous.  Beautiful, white sandy beaches provide the angler's family with appealing recreational opportunities.

SURF:  The "Pompano Run" will remain on in the troughs with whiting.  Trout, reds, flounder, and a variety of other fish will also be found in the surf.  Though not much fare for the table, ladyfish and bluefish will test your tackle and skill.

INSHORE: During May trout fishing will be at its finest on the grassy flats using DOA, GULP!, and live shrimp under a popping cork.  Top water baits, and soft jerk baits are also effective.  Large live minnows (such as finger mullet and croakers in the 4-6 inch range) caught with casting nets and on small hooks are a favorite for BIG trout.  Redfish can be found on the edges of the grass in shallow water.  They will be looking for crabs, shrimp, and small baitfish.

Flounder with hungry appetites will be settling into their summer dinner tables.  Sandy spots and grassy edges near drop offs are good places to find these fish.  Throw a bull minnow on a Carolina Rig, or drop a jig sweetened with fresh shrimp, and hop it off the bottom to catch these fish.  The spanish will be constant during May.  It will not be too late to troll straw rigs and Clark Spoons when you find bait on top of the water, or birds feeding.

OFFSHORE: Dolphin (mahi-mahi) and kings will be arriving in larger numbers.  For dolphin, the buoy line leading into St. Joe Bay is a proven hotspot, as will be the tidal weed lines further out.  Trolling plastics at 8-9 knots, or naturalbait rigs at 7 knots, are effective.  King fishing begins to peak in June, but larger fish often arrive earlier.  The second half of cobia beach fishing will be underway.  One technique is to look for pods of manta rays which often travel with cobia, and are easier to spot.  After sighting the fish, anglers often first  use heavy duty spinning tackle to throw a 1 oz cobia jig to get a hookup.  This is then followed with live bait including eels and mullet.  Be sure to try the new GULP! eel.  It's will tempt any cobia. 

Bottom fishing for red snapper continues in statewaters, but will not open in federal waters until June.  Most of the grouper fishing will be done further out in 100 to 200 feet of water.  You may want to hire one of the fine charter boats, listed among our website Captains, to take you out for a day of "reef fishing."  If you are going out in your own boat, look over the new Florida regulations for managing this fishery on myfwc.com.  We have discussed these in previous reports, and our store has the information and products necessary to bring your boat into compliance.

FRESHWATER:  The bass bite should remain steady for the duration of the month.  Bream and shellcrackers are still on their beds, and are a prime target for anglers.  We have a huge and excellent freshwater fishery in this area, but a boat is necessary to take advantage of it.  Several boat landings within 10 - 30 miles of Port St. Joe provide access to this fishing adventure.

Your fishing friends at Bluewater compiled this MAY PLANNER