Spring Fever: What’s Biting Near You Now?

Spring is a time of renewal embraced by kayak anglers, for whom the season means a return to fantastic fishing. Southern anglers realize a seasonal surge in activity as target species put on the feed bag to migrate and spawn. Northern anglers celebrate the melt with fish waking up hungry. We went to 10 kayak fishing guides, coast to coast, to open up their playbooks and share their favorite spring species and destinations.

Spring Fever: What’s Biting Near You Now?

1 Arizona Largemouth

Verde River | Caleb Labarda, AZ Legend Adventures

Caleb Labarda says the most productive way to catch bass is drifting the crystal-clear Verde River. Arizona’s largest perennial river holds largemouth bass to six pounds and rainbow trout.

Spring Fever

April and May mean the river waters are rapidly warming, and largemouth are entering spawning mode. “The bass are hungry and really active,” says Labarda. It’s a great time to fish the river’s deeper pockets.

Find Fish

Labarda’s favorite tactic requires drifting the rapids: “That’s where bass chase food.” He finds the bigger fish holding in deep pockets at the end of rapids. The best action on the river cranks up around mid-morning and continues into the afternoon, as the water warms.

Water and Weather

The Verde River, one of the largest rivers in Arizona with year-round flow, offers clear, clean water. According to Doug Von Gausi, executive director of the Verde River Institute, “water quality is better than it has been in a hundred years.”

Tactics

Casting floating-diving crankbaits works well for Labarda in the spring. “Since the lure floats, I can control its depth by keeping my rod tip either high to work the surface or low to fish the lure deep.” Another technique involves letting the current take the lure downriver and then retrieving back through the rapids at a consistent, fast speed. “That usually triggers a strike,” Labarda says.

Spring Fish Story

Labarda and a buddy he calls Bassmaster Ron were enjoying hand-over-fish action. “All of a sudden, there’s a huge splash right behind Ron’s kayak,” Labarda remembers. The two looked at the source of the sound when they heard another big splash next to Ron’s kayak. “That’s when we saw the beaver coming right at Ron,” Labarda says. With the beaver in chase, Ron paddled frantically away. “I was laughing my head off until the beaver dived and I worried it was coming for me next,” he says. They didn’t see the beaver again Labarda says, “but it sure gave us a good laugh.”

Fishing Tricks For Bass In Spring Break Frenzy

2 California Sheephead

Pacific Ocean, San Diego | Glenn Udvarhelyi, San Dog Kayak Adventures

For Glenn Udvarhelyi, there’s no shortage of species to target in the spring, “but my favorite thing is catching California sheephead,” the guide says. These colorful cousins of the Northeast’s tautog and Florida’s hogfish are, as Udvarhelyi says, “Big, beautiful and they fight like hell!”

Spring Fever

Sheephead season runs from March to December, Udvarhelyi loves fishing for them in April and May as the water temperature warms.

Find Fish

Sheephead live in kelp. From Mission Bay, the fishing grounds are a mile and a half from the launch. When Udvarhelyi reaches the kelp forest, he ties his kayak to a kelp stalk.

Water and Weather

Udvarhelyi travels with the tide, paddling to the kelp beds on an outgoing tide and returning to the launch with rising water. He stresses, “Trust me, you don’t want to paddle against the current.”

Tactics

Shellfish or squid are good baits, but ghost shrimp are the best. He catches ghost shrimp by pumping them out of the sand. Then, he stores the bait overnight on a baking pan under a damp paper towel. He fishes the bait on a Carolina rig with a three- to four-ounce weight and long-shank, baitholder hook. When a sheephead bites, Udvarhelyi is ready to horse it out of the kelp with heavy drag and short pumps of the rod. “Or they’ll take you in the kelp and that’s a wrap!”

Spring Fish Story

“My buddy, Rich, tied up to the kelp. For five hours, he caught one sheephead after another, all over 12 pounds. The other anglers in the party repositioned to move closer to Rich, but he was the only one catching trophy-sized sheephead.”

3 Kentucky Crappie

Rough River Lake, Nolin River Lake | Jason Yeager, Oakmulgee Outfitters

Spring Fever

Jason Yeager appreciates fast-action fishing, and spring crappie offer that in droves. Yeager fishes “places on lakes or rivers bigger boats can’t easily access.”

Spring sees crappie moving out of the main lake into creeks to spawn. Yeager says catching a quick limit of 10- to 12-inch crappie is easy. Both lakes produce crappie over 16 inches and 2.5 pounds.

Find Fish

The action kicks off as the Army Corps of Engineers raises water levels in the flood-control dams. Once the water temperature hits 60 degrees, Yeager gets serious about crappie fishing. “When the water temp reaches 68 degrees, the crappie are on fire,” he adds.

Water and Weather

In April, when the dogwoods are in bloom, anglers fishing the pre-spawn bite can fill a 20-fish limit in 15 or 20 minutes.

Tactics

Yaeger favors two-inch crappie jigs under a bobber. He sets the depth of the jig above the depth where he marks crappie on his forward-facing sonar. “Crappie feed up,” he says, explaining the fish look for food higher in the water column and attack from below.

Spring Fish Story

Yeager was fishing with his wife and they weren’t catching anything. When they noticed shad being chased on the surface of the water, Yeager’s wife cast a jointed crankbait and caught an 18-inch crappie. After landing the first trophy, she cast back into the melee and caught another three-pounder. “After catching two trophy crappie in a row, we didn’t catch anything the rest of the day,” he remembers.

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4 Hawaii Wahoo

Pacific Ocean, Maui | Jeanbarakah “La” Serody, BK Maui

It’s hard to imagine a more electrifying gamefish than the lightning-fast wahoo. One of the fastest fish in the sea, wahoo strike a bait with reckless abandon.

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Spring Fever

Serody welcomes spring when 30- to 50-pound wahoo (ono for Hawaiians) show up off the western side of Maui. As a bonus, anglers may be rewarded with a humpback whale sighting.

Find Fish

Serody says, “Slow troll a live bait just off Olowalu and the wahoo will find you.” A three-mile pedal puts Serody in the Molokini Crater, a well-known wahoo destination. He looks for current lines and floating debris. “I can hook a half-dozen wahoo in a morning,” Serody says. Besides wahoo, anglers have a good chance of scoring an ahi (yellowfin tuna), mahi or blue marlin.

Water and Weather

The western side of Maui is the island’s lee side, protected from northeast trade winds and large swells. Mornings are the most reliable weather window to pedal to the fishing grounds.

Tactics

Anglers troll live goggle-eyes (akule) or scads (opelu). Serody uses a sabiki rig to catch live bait. He says the akule bite before dawn and the opelu take over after sunup. He hooks the live bait on a two-hook stinger rig and slow trolls it around structure and floating debris.

Spring Fish Story

“I was fishing with four other anglers when I heard a splash behind my kayak. I turned to see a wahoo six feet in the air with my bait in its mouth. The wahoo spit out my bait and landed so close it drenched me with water. Then the fish swam over and attacked another angler’s bait but missed the hooks. Next the wahoo went after a third angler’s bait but spit the hook. Finally, the wahoo returned and hit my other bait and got the hooks.”

5 Florida Bonefish

Upper Florida Keys | Alex Tejeda, Bone Collector Kayak Fishing Charters

Spring in the Florida Keys means the water temperatures climbs to the golden range of 73 to 80 degrees. Glass minnows haven’t yet left the flats to head north for the summer. For guide Alex Tejeda, April is the time to target trophy bonefish.

Spring Fever

During April, the bonefish bite explodes as the fish take advantage of glass minnow schools to fatten up before they spawn in May. If conditions are favorable, Tejeda says bonefish hang out on the flats feeding all day. Anglers also have a good shot at a permit, tarpon and bonefish slam.

Find Fish

Tide is a major factor. A strong incoming tide ending around 8 a.m. followed by a moderate outgoing tide until 3 p.m. seems to keep fish on flats. Tejeda says the best bite occurs mid-morning through midday when the sun is high and warming the water.

Water and Weather

“In the spring, expect some breeze,” Tejeda advises. The price of the bright sunshine is high pressure and heavy wind. “Look for areas out of the wind,” he says, noting a mangrove forest offers cover. “Once I’m anchored in a prime location, I enjoy fishing for bonefish with little pressure from other anglers,” he says. Spring also offers a break before summer’s ferocious heat arrives.

Tactics

When fishing oceanside flats, Tejeda likes a ⅛ to 3/8 skimmer jig in shrimp colors. He also fishes live shrimp behind a small split shot. Tejeda stresses hiding the hook inside the bait. He feeds the shrimp onto the hook starting at the tail.

Spring Fish Story

To illustrate spring fishing in the upper Keys and Everglades, Tejeda cites two days he spent fishing with one client. The first day was calm with the water full of life, including frenzied tarpon and snook smashing bait. “We lost count of the fish we caught on the postcard-perfect day,” he remembers. The next day they met with winds gusting to 30 miles per hour. The duo pushed on for a rugged 45-minute battle against the wind.

When they arrived at the fishing spot, they were surprised to find the water clear and bonefish covering the flats. “Within seconds, my client was working on a 10-pound bone, and the tone was set for the rest of the day.”

6 Maryland Snakehead

Chesapeake Bay Eastern Shore | Damien Cook, Lowland Outfitters

Anglers fishing brackish water in Chesapeake Bay and the lower Potomac recognize the outstanding gamefish qualities of the northern snakehead. Damien Cook guides exclusively for snakehead. “They’re explosive and acrobatic,” Cook says. And snakehead are downright intelligent: “Even when I land one in the kayak I can see it’s thinking about how to get away.” As a bonus, snakehead are delicious to eat.

Spring Fever

Although Cook fishes snakes from April until November, the action in April and early May is hard to beat with snakehead in pre-spawn feeding mode. “That means they’re putting on weight, and feeding heavily.” Expect to catch snakes in the 23- to 26-inch range, but fish to 30 inches aren’t unusual. “The big ones, at least 10 pounds, we call dragons,” Cook says. 

Find Fish

Snakehead prefer shallow, weedy water. Cook fishes brackish tributaries of the Chesapeake. Snakehead push upriver in the spring, so look to the head of the river and creeks where the lily pads are coming up. Generally, high tide is best. At times, snakehead are found in deeper water beyond the aquatic vegetation. “Spring evenings after the water warms during the day are the best opportunities,” Cook says.

Water and Weather

Snakehead favor brackish water, but their preference can vary from nearly saline to mostly fresh. Snakehead are caught through the winter but only after a few warm days raise the water temperature.

Tactics

Cook acknowledges the snakehead’s explosive topwater bite, but he prefers subsurface blade baits. “I like the feel of the fish trying to take the rod out of my hands,” he explains. “Work the lure with a slow to moderate pace,” he suggests. When slow doesn’t work, Cook burns back the lure to get a reaction bite.

Spring Fish Story

Cook was fishing his home waters with one of his Cooker lures. He was having a slow day and had lost what felt like a really big snakehead. Later in the day, in the same area, he hooked up and landed his personal best snakehead and a 21-pound IGFA All Tackle weight record.

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7 Massachusetts Winter Flounder

Manchester-by-the-Sea | Mike Baker, Kayak Fish New England

In the spring, veteran kayak guide Mike Baker’s favorite activity is winter flounder fishing. “They’re really fun and great eating,” he says.

Spring Fever

In April and May, flatfish are biting and the boat traffic is manageable. Winter flounder make up for their small size with availability and their inclination to snap up a bait.

Find Fish

Most Massachusetts inlets, harbors and river mouths offer good floundering. Baker’s favorite is Manchester-by-the-Sea south of Gloucester, but he also fishes harbors around Cape Ann, Hampton Harbor, Gloucester Harbor and the Merrimack River near Plum Island. He finds flounder over sandy bottom, drops, channels and edges in less than 15 feet.

Water and Weather

Incoming and outgoing tide are good, but Baker suggests being mindful of currents and avoiding areas where it’s running hard. Often he’ll fish inside the bays where the current is strong enough to provide a good drift.

Tactics

For winter flounder, sea worms are the ticket. Baker says squid and Gulp! are effective but nothing works as well as sea worms. He uses pre-tied flounder-hook rigs with yellow beads with an ounce of lead. “Since flounder are visual hunters, I paint the sinkers fluorescent pink or yellow,” Baker says.

Spring Fish Story

One morning, I was drifting across the flat in three feet of water. I looked into the water and saw thousands of live sand dollars on the bottom. When they are alive, sand dollars are covered with tiny dark hairs, not the bleached white shells for sale in the shell store. I’ve been on the water for 15 years and I’ve never seen that many live sand dollars.

8 South Carolina Redfish

Charleston to Cape Romain | Chris Tweedy, Topwater Kayak Charters

Spring is Chris Tweedy’s favorite time to catch redfish. “April into June offer a unique opportunity to have a legitimate shot at landing true bull reds,” he says.

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Spring Fever

Spring is when 40-plus-inch fish move from the ocean into shallow backwaters. Spring means “safer and easier access to the biggest fish of the year,” Tweedy says. In addition to trophy redfish, there are plenty of smaller redfish to chase.

Find Fish

The entire South Carolina coast comprises marshes with wide breaks and bends creating deep holes. The deep water in the shallow marshes and tidal creeks hold schools of bait and predators. Tweedy focuses on the area roughly 25 miles north of Charleston Harbor around Isle of Palms, Bulls Bay and the Cape Romain National Wildlife Preserve. He looks for deep holes and creeks adjacent to big water. He also searches the west side of barrier islands.

Water and Weather

Tweedy says bigger tides and stronger currents offer the best results. A morning tide change is a plus. Light cloud cover makes fishing even better.

Tactics

Live or dead bait is the ticket for spring reds. When possible, he catches menhaden in a cast net. At the top or bottom of the tide, menhaden are easier to spot swimming on the surface. Tweedy also has success using small mullet for bait. If the mullet is larger than six inches, he cuts it in half. To fish his bait, he uses a fish-finder rig with a 5/0 circle hook, 20 inches of 40- to 60-lb mono leader and a half- to three-ounce weight to keep the bait on the bottom.

Spring Fish Story

On Memorial Day weekend in 2021, Tweedy and a friend set out in their kayaks to target sharks. After an hour of slow fishing, Tweedy says, “Suddenly my starboard rod bent over in the rod holder and the reel was dumping line at a steady rate.” He managed to get his other line in and spent the next 45 minutes being dragged almost three-quarters of a mile fighting what he thought was a large shark. “Once I got it to the surface, I realized it was a 43-inch bull red!” Lacking a landing net for a fish of that size, Tweedy managed to move in near the shore and work the fish up against the marsh grass on the bank. He still marvels that he caught his personal best redfish less than a mile from a public access and popular campground. “And not a single boat came by during the fight,” he says.

9 Florida Blackfin Tuna

Santa Rosa Beach | Rick Brown, 30A Kayak Fishing

With coastal Florida’s bounty of offshore gamefish, guide Rick Brown has trouble picking a spring favorite. He narrows the focus down to blackfin tuna with sailfish a close second.

Spring Fever

Rick Brown launches from the beach at the Ed Walline Regional Beach Access and starts trolling as soon as he clears the breakers. Besides tuna and sailfish, anglers look for king mackerel and bonito. Bottom fishing produces snapper, grouper, triggerfish and amberjack.

Find Fish

The South Walton Artificial Reef Association reefs are in 60 feet of water and less than a mile from the beach access. He also fishes a mile east of Draper Lake.

Water and Weather

In the spring fish become active when water temperatures rise into the 70s. Weather and sea conditions are crucial to safely fishing open water. “I closely watch the surf report,” Brown says. First light is the best time for fishing, but the action often continues through the morning.

Tactics

Live bait is great but not always available. Brown says dead cigar minnows rigged with a Boone Bait Duster is the next best thing. Trolling hard lures also works well. He trolls the bait at two-and-a-half miles per hour. To target bottom species, he uses a slow-pitch or speed jig. “I catch blackfin on the jig, too,” he says.

10 Texas Spotted Sea Trout

Galveston Bay | Clint Barghi, Galveston Kayak Fishing

Although Galveston Bay is loaded with redfish, which most kayak anglers target, “I think our trout fishery is unmatched anywhere in the U.S.,” Clint Barghi says. Fishing topwater lures in shallow water is an exciting way to target trophy trout.

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Spring Fever

In late spring, trout and redfish migrate from the back bayous and ship channels to the passes. May into June is the easiest time to find big trout. Barghi says mullet move into the shallows and water temperatures are ideal. Catching 25- to 30-inch trout is a real possibility. “The Galveston Bay complex has some of the heaviest trout along the Texas coast,” Barghi says.

Find Fish

In spring trout are feeding in less than three feet of water. Barghi keeps it simple:“Find the bait, find the trout.” He searches rivers and passes around Galveston such as San Luis Pass, the mouth of Chocolate Bayou and San Jacinto River. “These locations provide good water movement and plentiful bait.” He suggests combining the end of the incoming tide with a major or minor feed time in areas with strong tidal current.

Water and Weather

In May, air temperatures in the 70s and very little rain make it comfortable to fish Galveston Bay.

Tactics

This is a great time to fish topwater lures for trout. Barghi suggests downsizing lures; “small baits will still catch big trout.” Barghi suggests anglers forget their nuanced retrieves from winter; spring is the season to burn lures back to the boat. An “incredibly fast and erratic retrieve will take spring trout,” he says. Finally, like any true Texas inshore angler, Barghi doesn’t hesitate to jump out of the kayak and wade fish for gator trout and redfish.

Spring Fish Story

One night right after a big front moved into the area, Barghi decided to go fishing anyway. “I launched and went to a shallow area where I normally get trout.” He was in an area no sane angler would go into at night. “It is very shallow and full of obstructions.” He wasn’t optimistic until his second cast. “I caught the biggest trout of my life, a 30-inch, 10-pounder.” 

The ocean is wide and the weather is warm; get on the water this spring. | Feature photo: Jeffrey Fortuna