March Bay Fishing in Destin, Florida 2022:
The month of March in Destin Fl is when the fishing in the bay starts to get good for the year. The weather is changing, and the water is warming up. As the water warms up bait starts showing up around the flats and the fishing gets more consistent.
The trout and red fish bite are very similar this time of year. The flats can be a very good place to fish depending on the time of the day. Typically fishing the flats early morning shortly after the sun has risen and late afternoon just before sunset there is a good bite on the flats.
Red fish and trout can be caught on top water lures, and live bait. Red fish and trout will both eat spotted minnow, shrimp, and pinfish. These fish can also be targeted around deep-water docks throughout the day, along with a chance of catching an occasional mangrove snapper. Redfish, along with black drum, can also be caught fishing under the bridges using bigger live baits.
During March in Destin the sheepshead start moving to deeper water, but are still being caught consistently throughout the month when the conditions are right.
Fishing around the bridges, and jetties is the best locations to target these fish, although it is not unheard of to catch one around docks occasionally. Sheepshead are eating crabs, shrimp, and oysters. The warmer waters this time of year bring in a few different species of fish to this area.
One of these fish being Spanish mackerel. In the bay Spanish mackerel are mostly caught trolling. Trolling straw rigs and clark spoons slowly tends to be very productive. It is best to target these fish near bridges, around the harbor, and near the mouth of the pass. Spanish mackerel can also be caught fishing crystal minnows, clark spoons, and most shiny lures, it can be very productive to work these lures quickly through areas with lots of bait.
The warming waters of March also bring in pompano. The pompano start showing up on the beach first, and can also be found around the jetties. They can be caught on shrimp, sand fleas, and a combination of those baits with fish bites. With the water warming up in March and many baitfish returning, the fishing can be very good in Destin.
