When the weather warms up, freshwater fish are constantly moving around. Fish from deeper waters tend to move to shallow waters when winter starts fading out. They become more active and energized. In addition, spring is the spawning season for many kinds of fish, which tends to make fish more picky- but also more feisty. That’s what the thrill of fishing is about. That means that now is the perfect time to go out fishing.

Saltwater fish are also affected by spring weather. This is a time of activity for these fish, because the weather prompts migratory behavior. Some of the best saltwater fish to catch around this time are mackerel, sharks, tarpon, and jack crevelle. Sharks move north in the spring in search of food, mackerel head for cooler waters, tarpon move from the gulf to the Atlantic, and jack move inshore to hunt in schools. Each of these species come to local Florida shores for different reasons, but no matter the reason, it gives local fishermen a chance to catch the best fish out of the year. Whether you're looking for a trophy fish or a delicious meal, you should be able to score a memorable catch.

Merritt Island is full of local shops to buy your tackle and bait. For example, Doc’s Bait House off of W Merritt Island Causeway and Last Chance Cafe Mart and Bait off of 528 have both live and frozen bait for your needs. If you're going out fishing, you're also going to need a place to gear up. Handler Fishing Supply is a great place to start. They have all of the gear and supplies you may need for fishing in the area. They've got the equipment to fish anywhere you want to go: freshwater, saltwater, rivers, inshore, offshore, ponds, lakes, everything!

But before you start shopping, you'll have to know what to look for. What you need to buy depends entirely on what exactly you're looking to catch. You're going to need the right gear to do the job, because some fish are attracted to shiny objects, while other fish are attracted to certain smells.

Let's talk more in-depth about freshwater fish. To start with, panfish become vicious for anything to eat and will bite on almost any type of bait. They can be found in pretty much any fresh body of water, so mostly small rivers and ponds. The only limitation is the size of what they can fit in their mouth and in turn, they need relatively small hooks to hook them well. They tend to feed in shallow water and hunt either on the surface or in shallow depths. Bobbers come in handy when trying to hook these guys because they will eat and then run with it. Panfish tend to have a large variety in their diet and are not picky about what they eat. They eat any kind of worms (real or artificial), bugs, small fish or jigs, bread, meat, and just about anything else they can get a hold of.

Catfish are similar to panfish, but instead of being top feeders, they feed off of the bottom and they are scavengers. They will eat just about anything that is dead off of the bottom of the water. This is when bottom rigs are useful. Their size can vary depending on the kind (Florida has about 7 freshwater species) but they generally stay small at a little less than 5 pounds. They will eat cut bait, frozen fish, frozen shrimp, worms, bread and almost anything else you can find. A lot of people consider them to be “trash fish” solely for the fact that they aren’t good to eat because of their diet, but that couldn't be any less true. They are very fun to catch and are almost guaranteed to get every time. It is because of their abundance in almost every location in Florida that they are an incredibly common catch.

Bass become more active during spring, but they also become more picky eaters. While they are in spawning beds, the best thing is sight fishing. They are so shallow that they become very easy to spot. Once you see them, the best spot to cast is in front of the beds and around them. Lizards are a predator of bass eggs, so bass are very defensive. They don't eat the lizards but rather scoop them up in their mouths and spit them out. That's when lizard soft plastics come in handy. They are almost guaranteed to pick them up and the only hard part is hooking them. Light colors like light green and yellows tend to work best.

As far as saltwater fishing goes, sharks and tarpons will require medium-weight gear. Wire leaders are highly recommended, because these fish's teeth can easily freight the line. Although tarpon teeth are much smaller than shark teeth, they can still cause significant damage to the line, which can cause you to lose the fish. Although they live in vastly different conditions, they share similar diets. They are easiest to catch while using live bait. Tarpon prefer shrimp, crabs, mullet and pinfish. While frozen or cut bait can work, the rise in temperature leads them to hunt more for their prey rather than scavenge for it. They are top water feeders and tend to prey on fish above them in the water, so top water rigs work best if you have intentions to hook a tarpon. Some top-water lures that you may have luck with are things like poppers, paddle tails, or spoons, but your best bet will be with live bait.

Mackerel is an umbrella term applied to several different types of fish that belong to the same family. Most share a decently small size, averaging around 10 pounds, which means they can be caught on relatively light gear. A rod and reel setup is best for this fish and should be able to hold at least 30 pounds, but not much more is needed. They all share common characteristics like the tropical waters they stay in, their schooling habits, and similar diets. When they are hungry, they will eat almost anything, which gives fishermen a large range of methods to catch them. Lures are very effective for hooking up on them. Sabiki rigs are commonly used, which is a series of small hooks and small shiny fringes placed several inches apart on a line. They simulate small crustaceans or bugs in the water and can allow you to catch several fish at the same time. They also will bite on small spinner baits and cutbait as well.

When jack are hunting, they create a “boiling” look on the surface, which helps fishermen locate them. They eat large, live baits like herring, mullet, and large sardines. These fish average about 10 pounds, but they can grow relatively large, so you would need medium-weight gear to catch them if you want to be safe. Some people prefer swim baits or heavy-weight jigs, but like most saltwater fish, jack are easiest to catch on live bait.

Merritt Island is full of great fishing spots, but due to tourism, a lot of the water is overfished. The best place to find the largest and most abundant quantities of fish is going to be more secluded locations like private ponds and isolated parts of the rivers.

Ulumay Sanctuary is an excellent place to start. The brackish water has a huge variety of fish in the waters. Kiwis Island is similar, but the water has direct access to the Indian River. It is located right off of the 520 bridge. It's great for catching fish passing through the river. Kelly Park tends to be busier, but has great shore access to the lagoon. Whether you're launching a boat or a kayak or just fishing from the shore, it's a good place to start. Just about anything can come across your lines in the river.

Across from the mall on Fortenberry Road, there is a lake that holds giants. It's stocked with some of the largest bass you can find, but the only challenge is catching these guys. The area around it tends to be pretty busy but not many people take time to look at the lake, let alone fish in it. Some of the more concealed places on Merritt Island are the smaller ponds located along country Route 3. The northern parts of Merritt Island are much more unfrequented past the Kennedy Space Center. It leaves the ponds alongside this road to thrive without human intervention, so these are great places to go check out since there should be plenty of untouched fish in there.