April closes out the spring harvest season for snook. This changes the character of the anglers and the snook fishing. The true sportsman are here seeking big the big fish. May is the time for some of the largest fish of the year. During this month the biggest of the snook move into the passes and cuts of the Western Everglades and 10,000 Islands. They are here to spawn.

In May the temperature rises. Most days are in the high to mid-80’s driving most of Florida’s winter residents back north only to be replaced with giant snook, giant tarpon, giant groupers and giant permit.

The high air temperatures also mean higher water temperature. May is the time for the early bite … very early. It is the time for the leaving two hours before sunrise. It the time when you fish when it is cool because that is when the bite is hot. The fish bite early and they bite late …sunrise and sunset. But, a May mornings is the time for top waters.

May starts the top water “season” but this action actually lasts until mid-November when the cool fronts start again. Some of my favorite fishing is during this time … particularly with the rising water of a morning high tide.

There is a place that we affectionately call the War Zone. It provides some of the best top water action that I know of anywhere. This area is actually a small bay defined by several islands. Within a mile are six islands, beaches, mud flats, grass flats, sand flats, deep cuts and passes, creeks and many oyster bars. With such a variety of terrain, it is also one of my favorite places to fish in the kayaks … lots of variety very close nearby.

In the War Zone, beginning in May, large herds of mullet create mullet “rafts” an acre across. These massive mullet schools congregate in the bay during the night to feed and rest. They do not stay there un-noticed, however.

At the very first sign of light, you will here the first of the giants … the sound of a giant toilet flushing. It is the sound of a tarpon engulfing a three-pound mullet from the surface. First one, then another, then three, then the world explodes as a frenzy of tarpon work over the mullet. Once you have witnessed it, you will never forget it.

The mullet are herded by the tarpon into dense schools in the middle of the bay to keep them away from the relatively safety of the mangroves. Rigged with 20-30 lb braid, we make long casts with walk-the-dog type lures right into the middle of the school. Walking-the-dog is what some call it … crawl-the-dog is more accurate. Slow movement, with lots of “hang time” in the school is most affective.

If you are patient and you will get your pitch. There is nothing better than putting a triple digit dinosaur in the air at sunrise.

The bite does not last long however. Even big fish feeding on big baits get their fill quickly. Once the tarpon back off, the mullet head for the “safety” shorelines. The head away from the tarpon, but right into the path of the big snook waiting for them near the mangroves!

Top waters again!! This time the pace of the “walk” is a bit quicker, but the results are the same. These fish weigh in from 12 to 25 pounds and love their mullet.

Here to the bite does not last long. But that is fine, because by now the water has come in enough to cover the oyster bars and the mullet hide on top of the oyster bars from both the snook and tarpon. But not the redfish!! Big reds on top water is next…slow it up again!!

This whole bite can last but three to five hours, depending on the many factors. But it provides some of the best top water action that I know. Once the bite dies off, it dies fast. As the sun heats up the inshore waters, the fish kick into siesta mode until sunset. That is why many times, we will fish until the bite stops rather than thrash the water in the heat of the day.

However, May, June and July are great months to get offshore. The near shore structure is loaded with snook, cobia, permit and big groupers. There, the heat of the day is not nearly as much of a factor if jigging deep.