March 2013 Clearwater and Dunedin Fishing Forecast
As March and spring break arrives here in the Clearwater fishing area and Dunedin’s St. Joseph Sound, look for the fishing action to go off the charts. I have been extremely busy with charters this February and we are catching many fish on every trip. I look for this to continue into March and April.
Average morning temperatures have been around 60 degrees and highs were in the mid to upper 70s. Thanks to the above average weather we’ve been having in February, water temps are in the mid-to upper 60s in the Tampa Bay waters and on the increase. All indications are pointing to this fishing frenzy to continue through March and further. If there is a time to get out fishing, it would be right now.
On a warm February day, Mick and Shaun came aboard and employed some warm winter weather tactics. We started out back in the mangroves catching a dozen or so trout. We then moved to some flats in Clearwater Bay looking for redfish. It wasn’t long till Shaun hooked up on a nice 25 inch red and did a nice job landing the fish. We moved on and found another school of redfish and boated 8 before the bite shut down and we headed in. These fish were caught on live shrimp around the mangrove shore lines on the incoming tide.
This gives you a taste of the spring time fishing action that’s going on right now and is expecting to continue in the Clearwater and Dunedin fishing areas.
Using the tide and the warmer days of March, fish for trout at the lower parts of the tide. Net up some white bait, if you can find it, or grab some live shrimp and drift the grass flats north of Dunedin Causeway. It may take a few drifts but say with it, trout will be found.
The last half of March should turn out to be even better than the first. Water temps will be on the rise and all of the spring time species, redfish, trout, mackerel and ladyfish will be feeding throughout the inshore waters and grass flats on the incoming tides. White bait is already showing up in the bays and it won’t be long until it becomes the predator’s main food source.
A warm March should set off a fishing frenzy in the Tampa Bay fishing area not to mention that it’s spring break for a lot of collage people. That’s a big enough frenzy in itself. Take some of that spring break time and get out fishing, the fish are waiting.
Capt. Gary Burch
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