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PC/PCB Fishing Report 4-30-26
Bay Fishing
The Spanish mackerel have been very reliable this year, and one of the most noticeable changes lately is their size. There are a lot more larger fish showing up. Limits are being caught trolling and casting consistently.
For targeting bigger fish, small diving plugs and larger spoons are working well. If you are after numbers or smaller fish, a size “0” Clark spoon or similar will still catch everything in the mix. Most of the action is centered around the pass and just outside of it.
There are still decent sized redfish in the pass as usual, but this week brought a rare visitor from the south, snook. More snook are being seen in the pass during warmer months, and divers have been reporting and filming them especially around tide changes.
Other areas of the bay continue to produce both trout and redfish. Some quality trout are being caught on a wide variety of lures including Paul Brown baits, suspending MirrOlures, topwater plugs, and poppers early in the day. Paddle tails like Z-Man styles continue to be a solid choice.
For your best shot at a personal best trout, live bait like a decent sized pinfish or white bait on a flat line while wading grass flats is hard to beat. Redfish are also being picked up in these same areas. With cooler water temperatures still holding compared to midsummer, most grass flats are productive right now.
Pier Fishing
We have finally seen some “unicorns” show up in the form of cobia on the piers, including some good sized fish. Cobia fishing has been slow for quite a while, so this is a positive sign.
Spanish mackerel have been showing up in decent numbers at times, mostly early in the day. King mackerel are starting to appear as well, with a few fish pushing close to 20 pounds.
Other species being caught include redfish, black drum, bonita, and squid. The pompano bite went from very strong to mostly predawn, dropped off for a bit, and now seems to be improving again. Whiting have been notably scarce this year, but hopefully that changes soon.
Surf Fishing
The surf bite has been inconsistent over the last couple of weeks. Some anglers are finding fish, while others are only managing a few after a lot of effort. Fish are being found feeding farther out, often over and just beyond the first sandbar. Successful anglers report using ghost shrimp and magic thread baiting techniques. These require catching your own bait. Suction pumps and magic thread are available in store.
A helpful rigging tip is to build a floating sifter using hardware cloth on a square PVC frame with pool noodles for flotation, secured with zip ties. This makes bait collection much easier and faster.
Bottom Fishing
Overall, bottom fishing has been solid with a few slower days mixed in. Vermillion snapper, red grouper, triggerfish, and mangrove snapper are all being caught regularly.
Amberjack of decent size are available and can quickly wear anglers out. Good sized red snapper are showing up on wrecks, and gag grouper are also in the mix. Reminder: amberjack, red snapper, and gag grouper are catch and release only.
The 90 to 120 ft range is still the minimum depth for consistent keeper fish. If rigged properly, running a flat line with live bait can also produce king mackerel and occasional cobia, with mahi sometimes showing up and crashing the spread.
Nearshore Trolling
King mackerel numbers are still not quite there for consistent trolling, but some fish are showing up, especially larger ones, which usually arrive first.
Right now, most action remains Spanish mackerel around the pass and just outside the second sandbar. A good strategy is running a Spanish mackerel setup while also deploying a long flat line for kings. You may pick up both.
Offshore Fishing
