Mid-Coast Bays: March 2026

As I get older, I have come to the realization that every passing winter has the potential to strongly impact our already declining speckled trout population, and this past winter was no different. There were a few arctic fronts that kept me wondering if this winter would be one of those occurrences. Luckily, as of late, I can honestly say that we have not experienced an impactful die-off due to prolonged freezing conditions as we have in years past. Keeping our bag limit on speckled trout to a daily limit of three per angler is going to help our numbers long-term, but Mother Nature has a bold way of reminding us that she remains in charge and is usually the biggest deciding factor in just how healthy our populations will be.

Late winter and continuing into early spring, our greatest challenge will be learning to adapt to extremely windy conditions. Since we will technically be transitioning from one season into another, the wind direction could be all over the place. It will be very common to find an area that produces good catches one day, only to be totally different the next due to a change in wind direction.

Back lakes will remain go-to spots, and lucky for us on the Mid-Coast, we have numerous lakes that offer wonderful protection from gusty winds no matter the direction. I will typically elect to fish a windward shoreline in the back lakes, as the wind will stack bait and provide color to otherwise gin-clear water. The more features on these shorelines—such as points and coves—the better.

When fishing our back lakes, I am constantly on the lookout for active bait. Fleeing baitfish are always a good sign that game fish are cruising and possibly feeding in the area. If you have ever watched mullet jumping around, you will have noticed that they are quite good jumpers. With that being said, there is a difference in the way they jump that really gets my attention. Some days you will see mullet jumping straight up and back down into the water, almost as if they are doing belly busters, but I don’t get excited unless I see nervous mullet running for their lives by skipping two, three, maybe four or more times. This is a good indication that a bigger fish has spooked them or is actively pursuing a meal.

Since our back lakes have mostly muddy bottoms, wade fishing can be tough, so fishing from the boat will often be the best option. I like to deploy my Power-Pole, allowing the bow of my boat to point toward the windward shoreline, far enough away that I can’t reach it with a long cast. I do this to allow myself to fish the water leading up to the shoreline instead of immediately anchoring within casting distance. I will work the water thoroughly before bringing my Power-Pole up and drifting a short distance closer to shore, then anchoring again. It’s always best to saturate all the water around you with plenty of casts and not just focus on what’s directly in front of you.

Eventually, I will anchor within casting distance of the shoreline, making sure to make numerous casts at any abnormalities such as points or openings along the bank. I will repeat this strategy along different sections of a shoreline if it is producing good hookups before moving on to a different body of water.

This time of year, the grass in our back lakes remains sparse and is easy to fish without getting hung up frequently. I will primarily be throwing two soft plastic lures, both made by Bass Assassin. The 4-inch Sea Shad is a very effective solid-body paddletail lure. It comes in a variety of colors, but my go-to shades are Slammin’ Chicken and Purple Chicken. If I feel like I’m getting a lot of short strikes, I will switch to the irresistible scented Lit’l P&V in Salt N Pepper Silver Phantom with a chartreuse tail.

Since the weather can still be somewhat unpredictable this time of year, it’s a good idea to watch the forecast before heading to the coast. This can help you decide which areas to target beforehand. If the forecast predicts rough weather, you might want to wait for a more favorable time to go fishing.