May Fishing Forecast
Spring Break has come and gone, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day are approaching. Offshore action is heating up, tarpon will show up this month, and you will have plenty of other options, especially if you are open to some catch and release action.
May is one of the best months to visit the panhandle. There is great fishing and weather, its after spring break but before summer break, and it has not become unbearably hot!
Near Shore
Cobia
There are several ways to catch cobia. Most are caught spot casting from a boat or pier.
For the boat fisherman, most fish with live eels, live pinfish, jigs, swim baits, and plugs. The boat fisherman head out of the pass and generally fish to the west in the morning to have the sun at their back. Around midday they’ll head back to the east, again with the sun at their back, making it easier to spot the fish.
Pier fisherman usually fish with jigs and stand on the east side of the pier looking for the cobia that are migrating from east to west.
Cobia can be caught bottom fishing, chumming, or trolling, but the fisherman taking advantage of boats with towers or piers tend to have the best luck. Why? They don’t have to just wait and hope for a bite, instead they actually hunt the cobia down to catch them.
Cobia
There are several ways to catch cobia. Most are caught spot casting from a boat or pier.
For the boat fisherman, most fish with live eels, live pinfish, jigs, swim baits, and plugs. The boat fisherman head out of the pass and generally fish to the west in the morning to have the sun at their back. Around midday they’ll head back to the east, again with the sun at their back, making it easier to spot the fish.
Pier fisherman usually fish with jigs and stand on the east side of the pier looking for the cobia that are migrating from east to west.
Cobia can be caught bottom fishing, chumming, or trolling, but the fisherman taking advantage of boats with towers or piers tend to have the best luck. Why? They don’t have to just wait and hope for a bite, instead they actually hunt the cobia down to catch them.
Spanish Mackerel
Spanish can be caught trolling the bay, harbor, pass, and along the sand bars just off the beach with straw rigs, spoons, and Yo-Zuri lures.
You can also get good numbers of spanish off the piers and jetties using jigs, Got-Cha lures, spoons, G-Eye Jigs, bubble rigs, and Yo-Zuri lures.
Spanish are excellent eating, easy to catch, and provide all day fun for kids!
Spanish Mackerel
Spanish can be caught trolling the bay, harbor, pass, and along the sand bars just off the beach with straw rigs, spoons, and Yo-Zuri lures.
You can also get good numbers of spanish off the piers and jetties using jigs, Got-Cha lures, spoons, G-Eye Jigs, bubble rigs, and Yo-Zuri lures.
Spanish are excellent eating, easy to catch, and provide all day fun for kids!
King Mackerel
The earliest kings to arrive normally get caught by boats drifting live baits while bottom fishing. Shortly after the word gets out, anglers begin trolling lures along the beaches, either targeting kings or cobia, and start catching them pretty regularly.
Kings can be caught by fisherman in boats in a variety of ways. You can troll dead cigar minnows on a duster rigged with a planer or down rigger, use Yo-Zuri plugs, Rapalas, or even spoons.
Another great method is slow trolling live baits (cigar minnows, herring, or hard tails). Use a stinger or carolina king rig with a 4 to 8oz trolling lead and troll wrecks and reefs as slow as you can go.
Pier fisherman will catch plenty of king drifting a live or frozen cigar minnow off the end of the pier. Many will also be caught casting large spoons, swim baits 5 to 6 inch size, plugs, and big rattle traps.
King Mackerel
The earliest kings to arrive normally get caught by boats drifting live baits while bottom fishing. Shortly after the word gets out, anglers begin trolling lures along the beaches, either targeting kings or cobia, and start catching them pretty regularly.
Kings can be caught by fisherman in boats in a variety of ways. You can troll dead cigar minnows on a duster rigged with a planer or down rigger, use Yo-Zuri plugs, Rapalas, or even spoons.
Another great method is slow trolling live baits (cigar minnows, herring, or hard tails). Use a stinger or carolina king rig with a 4 to 8oz trolling lead and troll wrecks and reefs as slow as you can go.
Pier fisherman will catch plenty of king drifting a live or frozen cigar minnow off the end of the pier. Many will also be caught casting large spoons, swim baits 5 to 6 inch size, plugs, and big rattle traps.
Tarpon
Tarpon will be seen cruising just off the sand bar on both sides if the pass. The best method is live bait fishing while holding position with a trolling motor or anchoring with a quick release anchor system you can release once you hook a fish. Always present you baits to the tarpon in a manner where the bait is moving away from the tarpon, and do not bring the bait to the tarpon. Bait fish never run to a predator. This is one of the most common mistakes made when trying to catch tarpon.
Tarpon
Tarpon will be seen cruising just off the sand bar on both sides if the pass. The best method is live bait fishing while holding position with a trolling motor or anchoring with a quick release anchor system you can release once you hook a fish. Always present you baits to the tarpon in a manner where the bait is moving away from the tarpon, and do not bring the bait to the tarpon. Bait fish never run to a predator. This is one of the most common mistakes made when trying to catch tarpon.
Blackfin Tuna
Tuna can be found over rocks, ledges, and wrecks in the 150 to 300 foot range. You can troll for them, but the best option is chumming and live baiting them.
Blackfin Tuna
Tuna can be found over rocks, ledges, and wrecks in the 150 to 300 foot range. You can troll for them, but the best option is chumming and live baiting them.
Sharks
Pick out an area of natural bottom or large wreck. Mix a batch of chum and use some for a chum bag and some for chunking into the water. Use a few pieces of bonita or mackerel for bait. There are plenty of sharks all year if you just want a good tug on the line and some adventure!
You will need a 80lb rod and reel combo spooled 80lb or 100lb line braid or mono. Your leader should be 150lb to 250lb wire with a 12/0 to 16/0 circle. Sharks can be caught on boats or surf fisherman, there are plenty of sharks in the surf if you want to do that.
Sharks
Pick out an area of natural bottom or large wreck. Mix a batch of chum and use some for a chum bag and some for chunking into the water. Use a few pieces of bonita or mackerel for bait. There are plenty of sharks all year if you just want a good tug on the line and some adventure!
You will need a 80lb rod and reel combo spooled 80lb or 100lb line braid or mono. Your leader should be 150lb to 250lb wire with a 12/0 to 16/0 circle. Sharks can be caught on boats or surf fisherman, there are plenty of sharks in the surf if you want to do that.
Bottom Fishing
Scamp Grouper
Scamp Grouper are generally found in the 75ft to 400ft range, They prefer natural bottom but will gather on some wrecks. Fishing a Carolina rig with 1oz of lead for every 10ft of water. Best to use live cigar minnows, pinfish or frozen northern mackerel.
Scamp Grouper
Scamp Grouper are generally found in the 75ft to 400ft range, They prefer natural bottom but will gather on some wrecks. Fishing a Carolina rig with 1oz of lead for every 10ft of water. Best to use live cigar minnows, pinfish or frozen northern mackerel.
Amberjack
Amberjack are generally found fishing wrecks in 50 to 400 ft range, Unlike grouper they tend to like large wrecks rather than natural bottom. Live cigar minnows, hardtails, pinfish and vermillion snapper are preferred baits. Use a Carolina rig with extra long leaders, up to 20ft when fish are picky. Amberjack also love butterfly jigs and large swimbaits.
Amberjack
Amberjack are generally found fishing wrecks in 50 to 400 ft range, Unlike grouper they tend to like large wrecks rather than natural bottom.
Live cigar minnows, hardtails, pinfish and vermillion snapper are preferred baits.
Use a Carolina rig with extra long leaders, up to 20ft when fish are picky. Amberjack also love butterfly jigs and large swimbaits.
Vermillion Snapper and Triggerfish
Vermillion snapper, aka mingo snapper or beeliners, are another one of the better eating snappers. Many consider them just as good if not better eating than red snapper and vermillion have the advantage of being a species that can be caught all year. They normally range 1-3lbs but we catch them up to 5-7 lbs.
Triggerfish are one of the tastier fish and are also fairly easy to catch.
For both species use a 2 or 3 hook bottom rig with circle hooks no bigger than a nickel in size. The best bait is squid, followed by northern mackerel or bonita cut into 1in chunks. Fresher is better. They can be caught on wrecks or reefs in 50 to 175 foot depths. FishBites and Gulp! are not often used but can be extremely effective when targeting vermillion and triggerfish.
Vermillion Snapper
Scamp Grouper
Red grouper, unlike most bottom fish, seem to bite better on what we call trash bait. Trash can be anything from a frozen northern mackerel to a butterflied vermillion snapper.
Live baits typically don’t work as well for red grouper unlike other groupers as they tend to be very lazy.
Also we catch them in much shallower water. Normally 50 to 150 foot depths.
Red Grouper
Red grouper, unlike most bottom fish, seem to bite better on what we call trash bait. Trash can be anything from a frozen northern mackerel to a butterflied vermillion snapper.
Live baits typically don’t work as well for red grouper unlike other groupers as they tend to be very lazy.
Also we catch them in much shallower water. Normally 50 to 150 foot depths.
Surf, Pier, and Jetty Fishing
The surf and Jetty will provide plenty of action for those looking for pompano, whiting, spanish mackerel and sheepshead.
Pompano and Whiting
Pompano and whiting can be caught bottom fishing with sand fleas, fresh peeled shrimp, and fiddler crabs. You can also cast jigs from the surf, pier, or jetty and bouncing them along the bottom. FishBites, Fishgum, and Berkley Surf Bytes are other great options for bait.
Pompano
Whiting
King Mackerel and Spanish Mackerel
You can catch King Mackerel from from the pier using live or frozen cigar minnows drifted off the end of the pier. Also cast plugs or swim baits. You will need to rig with 40lb to 60lb wire because of the teeth on kings.
Spanish Mackerel will be chasing small baits along the coast, use spoons, Gotcha lures and jigs. Look for birds working along the beach and jetty.
Bonita
Bonita can be caught from the pier casting white jigs and white swim baits. Normally they only bite at first light for a few hours, the colder the better.
Redfish
Redfish patrol the jetties and shallows at the pier and prefer live shrimp for bait!
Ladyfish and Hardtails
We catch plenty of hardtails and ladyfish from May to November. Gotcha lures, spoons, and jigs all work. Ladyfish are the poor man's tarpon, they are exciting fish to catch on light tackle ranging 1-5lbs and put on a acrobatic show just like a tarpon.
Tarpon
Tarpon will start to show up at the end of the month on the piers and the peak season is fast approaching.
Bay Fishing
Speckled Trout
You will find trout and redfish cruising the flats this time of year and they will feed on topwater plugs, live shrimp, soft plastics, and twitch baits. This is considering one of the most fun ways to target them as much of it can be done sight casting.
Trout can be found in deeper water this time of year. Try fishing deep water boat docks, bridges, and deep holes in the bayous and channels. Your best baits for trout will be live shrimp, pinfish, croakers, and pigfish. Fish these on a carolina rig or under a popping cork.
Deep running or sinking plugs, DOA shrimp, and Savage shrimp are some of the best lures for trout. Fish these lures very slow this time of year. When the water is cold, trout are less aggressive and fishing the lure too fast will limit the number of bites.
A good way to locate trout is by slow trolling with a shrimp tail soft plastic jig in the deep channels of the bayou to locate the trout and then switch to live bait to get the max number of bites.
Speckled Trout
You will find trout and redfish cruising the flats this time of year and they will feed on topwater plugs, live shrimp, soft plastics, and twitch baits. This is considering one of the most fun ways to target them as much of it can be done sight casting
Trout can be found in deeper water this time of year. Try fishing deep water boat docks, bridges, and deep holes in the bayous and channels. Your best baits for trout will be live shrimp, pinfish, croakers, and pigfish. Fish these on a carolina rig or under a popping cork.
Deep running or sinking plugs, DOA shrimp, and Savage shrimp are some of the best lures for trout. Fish these lures very slow this time of year. When the water is cold, trout are less aggressive and fishing the lure too fast will limit the number of bites.
A good way to locate trout is by slow trolling with a shrimp tail soft plastic jig in the deep channels of the bayou to locate the trout and then switch to live bait to get the max number of bites.
Redfish
Most or the redfish will be caught fishing live shrimp, pinfish, croakers and pigfish. Reds will be hanging on docks, bridges and jetties. You will get most of your bites fishing with live bait on a Carolina rig on the bottom. Redfish have to be between 18 and 27 inches to keep.
There are a lot of bull reds around during the winter months and you will find them in the passes, deep channels and around deep water bridges. These bull reds are fun to catch and release. If you chose this type of fishing make sure to net the fish and do your best to unhook them while still in the water only using the net to control the fish.
Troll for them using deep running lures. If your lures have large lips and troll 15 of more foot you can run them by themselves. If you have lures wilt small lips you may need to add trolling lead 4 to 6 ounces to get the lure deep enough. Add single hooks to your lures rather than the treble hooks that normally come on them. Single hooks make it easier to release the fish unharmed.
Redfish
Most or the redfish will be caught fishing live shrimp, pinfish, croakers and pigfish. Reds will be hanging on docks, bridges and jetties. You will get most of your bites fishing with live bait on a Carolina rig on the bottom. Redfish have to be between 18 and 27 inches to keep.
There are a lot of bull reds around during the winter months and you will find them in the passes, deep channels and around deep water bridges. These bull reds are fun to catch and release. If you chose this type of fishing make sure to net the fish and do your best to unhook them while still in the water only using the net to control the fish.
Troll for them using deep running lures. If your lures have large lips and troll 15 of more foot you can run them by themselves. If you have lures wilt small lips you may need to add trolling lead 4 to 6 ounces to get the lure deep enough. Add single hooks to your lures rather than the treble hooks that normally come on them. Single hooks make it easier to release the fish unharmed.
Black Snapper
Black snapper will start to show up in the bay. We catch them around bridges, docks, and jetties. The best baits are live shrimp or menhaden. You will need a cast net to get the live menhaden. Fish light leaders and as little weight as possible on Owner Mutu Light circle hooks.
Black Snapper
Black snapper will start to show up in the bay. We catch them around bridges, docks, and jetties. The best baits are live shrimp or menhaden. You will need a cast net to get the live menhaden. Fish light leaders and as little weight as possible on Owner Mutu Light circle hooks.
Offshore Trolling
Wahoo, mahi, and tuna will be most abundant. You have several options: You can troll frozen ballyhoo rigged on skirted lures, high speed troll for wahoo, live bait troll the fads and weed lines, or chum and drift live baits around the fads and weed lines.
While the fads are a great option, make sure to take a look at the Hiltons Realtime Navigator app or the RipCharts app for the best water conditions.
Deep Drop Bottom Fishing
Deep drop bottom fishing is great option for catching dinner. We catch tilefish, snowy grouper, yellow edge grouper, barrel grouper, swordfish, and pomfrets. Most live one large ledges, rocks, the pipeline, and natural bottom.
