Well Anglers, after alot of wind and chill, I think May is going to be a great month for a big trout! Last year, May proved to be true with big fish. Will Fellner caught a 29 inch / 9 1/2 lb Trout with his first cast of the morning!!! Great job Will!! Notice I said first cast, that is usually the best shot you have. Every cast after is alerting the fish. Big ones are a different animal than your typical 15/16 inch trout. Make that 1st cast count!! As all the mullet and bait are back and entering our waters the fish will be on them. This time of the year when water temps are 65 and up is a great time for lures. Topwater action is exciting and productive! Many of your biggest Trout fall victim to topwater plugs. "Walk the dog" is the type of retrieve used with this type of plug. It will take some practice to perfect, however the rewards are explosive action with a great visual. For the float or jig and shrimp combo fisherman, these methods are very productive as well. I like to fish grass lines, points, and structure, that has some current, bait, and if you can find that next to deeper, you have a potentially hot spot. The river, Intercoastal waterway, or backcountry can all be productive. Remember to set your reel drags at 25% of you lines breaking strength. So, 10lb test would equal 2 1/2 lbs of drag and this helps to prevent break offs! Trout have a soft mouth. Another tip is use fluorocarbon leaders in the 30 inch range and any type of loop knots on your lures or jigs. It allows the lures to act "freely" and the way the manufacture recommends. 15-20 lb test leaders are very adequate. When you hook a big trout, despite what you might have learned in the past, keep you ROD TIP DOWN!! This keeps your fish in the water and the water slows the head shake down. When your tip is up, it allows the fish to shake his head out of the water and he can generate more speed and often times will shake the hook. The only time your rod tip is up is when you need to clear your line over an oyster bar or some type of structure while fighting the fish. It is not all about Trout either. There will be some Redfish in these type areas as well. Redfish will take a topwater plug or most lures for that matter. If you are fishing the backcountry, most schools are broken up and you will see singles and doubles and small groups. Get out early and look for backing fish in the shallows. The water at this time will not be as clear as it has been with all the bait and activity sturing it up. There will be some fish lurking the shallows and around oyster bars and grass lines. Weedless plastics, or jig / bait combos will be a good choice. Dead sticking a shrimp, mullet, crab, or mud minnow will all be good choices. There will be many other species around. Cobia, Ladyfish, Jacks, flounder, Spanish mackeral and some bluefish will be in the mix. Weather permitting, cobia will be following the rays along the beach in 20-50 ft depths. Light West winds are best. I like a TBS Cobia jig paired with a 40lb test Hi Seas Fluorocarbon leader on a heavy spinner. You can often see the fish and cast the jig in the fishes path being carfull not to hook the ray, and it is usally game on! Cobia are great table fare. Be careful, Cobia are very powerful and you need to be agressive when handling them. Call me and lets get out and enjoy the expierience of North Florida fishing. Tight lines!

Subject: April / Capt. Tony Bozzella fish report

April   Trout, trout, and more trout! This is a great month to bag a big one. Months past, April has produced some of the biggest trout to include fish as big as 11lbs!! Whether your a float fisherman, plug, topwater or jig, big trout will be on the prowl looking for a meal. They can be caught with any of these methods. Fish get very active with the warming, but, comfortable water temps. Bait will be reentering North Florida, and as it does it will keep the fish active!! Fishing places that have current, shallow next to deeper, structure and bait will be an ideal place to start your search? But, places like these hold fish. There will a nice mix of blues in the area. Very fun, and lots of action. Some people frown at blues, however, I take advantage of what mother nature has to offer? Years past, Paul Bent and I had a day with blues to 12 lbs on inshore waters!! What a fight on light tackle!! Any angler would of loved it!! There will be other fish joining the party. Redfish, Jack Crevalles, Spanish mackerel, Ladyfish, and plenty of blues will be in the mix, especially if the water temps stay up. Plugs and lures that have been productive include, Rapalas, x raps, twichin raps, and skitterwalks. In the Miro-lures line, mirro dynes and top dogs, and also the BiteABait line, fighters and top walkers. Colors are simple, if the water is clean and clear, I like to use natural colors. If the water is dirty or stained, use a white or chartreuse. Keep it simple. The same go's for jigs. Just use enough weight to get down and stay in tune with the bait.These are all fine baits in the hands of an angler that has mastered how to work them? If the backcountry is your style, there will be some redfish prowling around. Schools will be smaller and start breaking up with the warmer water. This will be the very last of the clear water and sight fishing this month. As the bait returns to the backcountry, the water will get cloudy and muddy as all the mullet and micro-organism start to replenish. Flounder will start showing up more as time go's on. Any structure with bait and moving water can be a hot spot. I like the incoming tide. Fish a TBS jig in a bright color combined with a finger mullet or mud minnow. Fish slow and feel the thump (bite) and reel the slack out and set the hook. Now, don't talk about it, get out and enjoy the waters of North Fl.!