March begins a series of transitional months for speckled trout along the coastline of Texas. But anglers shouldn’t need to prepare for any abrupt changes, as nature will tend to adjust its developments slowly as we officially head into springtime this month. Air and water temperatures will begin a gradual climb, and daylight hours will start getting just a little bit longer with each passing day. Underwater floral arrangements will once again prepare for blooming, and marine life activities will soon become much more prevalent in area bay waters with the recent passing of winter.

But even though the strength of northern cold fronts will continue to weaken as we push through the month, we may still see some rather cold temperatures at times, even if it only happens to be for one day at a time. This fluctuation in temperatures and conditions can result in the trout chasing their own tails, so to speak – the trout sometimes become so confused they don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing from one day to the next. And if the fish have a hard time figuring out the right thing to be doing on any given March day and in any given March condition, you can only imagine how frustrating it can oftentimes be for coastal anglers this month to figure out the where’s, how’s, and why’s of catching the fish.

Regardless of how puzzled the fish may become as things begin changing, one constant that anglers should be able to begin counting on shortly is the fact that the fish should soon be showing signs of more aggressive feeding patterns following the extended coldness of winter. Before long, schools of baitfish like mud minnows, finger mullet, croaker, and piggy fish are all going to burst into their natural springtime activity and should soon become the sole food target of the hungry trout. Successful March anglers will be those presenting artificial baits that closely resemble that of these larger baitfish, with the mullet-imitators promising to lead the pack for triumph and victory.

Declining northerly winds this month will once again start to fill area shorelines with higher water levels which means an increase in water movement – always a good thing when searching for the trout bite. Anglers locating active baitfish in clear water on either a rising or a falling tide should be able to recognize both accomplishment and happiness at the end of the day. But just remember that this is March, which means it’s not really winter any longer, but it’s not fully spring yet either. Just keep grinding!