This past week was a flat-out preview of spring in the Big Bend, and if you were on the water, you felt it. With highs pushing the upper 70s, the fish were absolutely fired up — we had redfish and trout doing backflips to crush our baits!
Now don’t get me wrong, winter isn’t completely done with us yet. Old Man Winter is hanging on by a thread, and this early-week cold snap will push fish back into the creeks one more time. But here’s the good news — we’ve got another set of big negative tides lining up, which means one more prime airboat fishing window to target stacked-up fish in shallow water.
It’s obvious what’s happening…
The redfish and speckled trout are ready to stretch their legs.
I’m seeing strong numbers of both staged up on outside points and rock bars, getting ready to transition into full-blown spring patterns along Florida’s Big Bend coast. When air temps start touching 80° by early March, it won’t take long. The bait will flood the flats, and when the bait shows up — the fish show out.
What This Means for Big Bend Fishing
- Late-winter creek bite on negative tides (prime airboat conditions)
- Redfish stacking up on outside points and rock bars
- Speckled trout sliding toward spring transition areas
- Warming water temps triggering aggressive feeding
Winter fishing is always special in the Big Bend — low water, sight fishing, and big numbers. But when those warm south breezes start blowing and the spring bite turns on… it just hits different.
If you’ve been waiting on:
- Consistent warm weather
- Aggressive redfish
- Big trout pushing shallow
- Classic springtime Big Bend action
Now is the time to get on the books.
The transition from winter creek fishing to spring flats fishing is one of the most exciting times of the year along Florida’s Nature Coast. The fish are feeding hard, the weather is stabilizing, and every trip feels like it could turn into a banner day.
Spring is knocking — and the Big Bend redfish and trout are ready.
Let’s go fishing.