Wind and weather make for a huge factor in the spring fishing runs.

Some old dude once wrote "April is the cruelest month." Not sure who he was but he was one smart guy!

For weeks now just about every fishing reporter in this area has been touting the arrival of killer spring action, but the wind and weather has made fools of us all.

My clients and I have been relegated to inshore fishing for the most part of the past few weeks. Thankfully the action has been pretty good. Weather conditions have made bait getting a real chore some mornings but perseverance has paid off with a good number and selection of live baits augmented with live shrimp.

Snook have been the big numbers catch all week but the size range has been in the 20- 27 inch range. Not a single linesider made it to the cleaning table. A few redfish, trout, mackerel, and bluefish have however.

Good Friday provided a killer incoming tide topping out around noon, but was coupled with a bright full moon and strong southeasterly winds. Started out the morning on the deep grass flats of Anna Maria Sound that produced huge mackerel, hefty bluefish, ladyfish, and trout. When the tide looked optimum we switched to some extreme backwater mud flats that were somewhat protected from the bulk of the wind and boated some really nice snook. There were numerous redfish in the same area but they would not accept any and all offerings. Water temperatures once again took a hit from the strong cold front but once they reached about 68 degrees the snook started to cooperate.

I am really stoked over getting into some kingfish and cobia action off our local beaches but until the winds abate it will have to wait.

It has been a long time since I have seen the weather be such a huge factor in the spring runs. With a little luck things should start to settle in the next week. It will be about time!

Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!!

Capt "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II"

(941) 795-5026

email: zachcap@aol.com

Docked on Palma Sola Bay at Parrot Cove Marina/Sunny Shores

115th st w and 36th ave., Cortez, Fl 34215