For the past 3 weeks the inshore gamefish set up in a classic spring pattern. It seemed we were going to full swing, then along comes a nasty front to screw it all up. There is no worse time for a significant blow than after the fish stage in their spring haunts for several weeks.

To make a long story short, fishing since Sunday’s blow, Monday and Tuesday can be found in my computer’s "U" file. "U" for ugly. Despite covering lots of ground and many spots that were just days ago teeming with fish, we found these same honeyholes near null and void.

The first clue was the difficulty in attaining scaled sardines. But eventually they were secured. Snook snubbed their nose at them. Cobia were no longer to be seen. The wind and moon kept the water off the redfish hangouts. Trout when found were sluggish and required a finesse of the rod to attain a bite. And so on.

If there was a highlight of the past two days it would be a group trip for the folks of The Sports Authority today. Though we did not "kill" anything anywhere, the Bounty Hunter took top honors in their trout tourney. The fish won Paul Gordon a few hundred dollars, but that was barely enough to make me smile. Plain and simple, it stunk.

Strong easterly winds will need to subside and shift to at least a more southerly direction before we see a good rebound. Trout came on better today and large female snook in good numbers were seen after a two-day hiatus, but not caught. Scattered reds are being taken along troughs and points adjacent to the shoreline. A full moon is approaching. If the winds and pressure are favorable by the weekend, action will return to near the previous weeks.

Sheepshead are making their annual appearance. A few pompano, small permit, flounder, whiting, jacks and bluefish will fill the voids during this recovery. Tides will need to return to full strength for the reds to school up. Cobia will be found on the navigation markers, reefs and wrecks when they are really sure winter is behind us. The blow scattered the Spanish mackerel, but the kingfish are still intact from Sarasota to Dunedin.

If my memory serves me correctly, this is very similar to a scenario of last spring. This too would mean Mother Nature has another system like this past weekend in her crystal ball. In addition, it would appear a very dry spring filled with bluebird skies and strong easterly winds. The new boat will earn its keep in 2000.

Variables are the predominant factors in all fishing. All you can do is just do it. Take the good with the bad. Fish, therefore you are.

Screaming drags and tired arms.