April is definitely our strongest “transition” month for both weather and fish. Wide ranging temperatures, wind, rain, fog, and sunshine may welcome you on any given day, and sometimes ALL on the SAME day! The fish in April can also be just as unpredictable! The good news is many patterns remain fairly consistent and we welcome many of our warmer weather species back to the Golden Isles!
With weather being a key element in any outdoor endeavor, especially fishing, I would say we have had a very typical March pattern. Periods of rain, wind, warming trends and cold fronts. This time of year, St Simons most sought after fish, the spotted sea trout, becomes just plain difficult to pin down. March 2019, has been no different for the specks, as anglers have been hard pressed to find a concentration of trout at any one spot. The good news is redfish, sheepshead, black drum and whiting have filled the trout-gap amazingly well this spring.
First, go ahead and tighten your drags, and you might as well throw in a little extra terminal tackle as well. Fishing structure, as many of you already know, is not for the faint of heart. Your going to lose tackle, fish, and possibly a small bit of your sanity. Fish holding structure, serious structure, comes in many forms, as well as many techniques to approach it.
I’ll be the first to tell you that fly fishing St Simons Island and all the Golden Isles is a fairly hefty assignment. With huge tides and swift moving water, the windows of opportunity can be tricky. Water clarity is often one of the bigger challenges. The secret is usually timing, and picking your poison.
Here in the Golden Isles we are getting a spring preview with very mild to warm weather. That will change as winter is not quite done and cold weather patterns will return. The two most consistent options for back country/inshore fishing around St Simons, Jekyll and Sea Island are sheepshead and redfish.