One that provides you fleeting glimpses of April, May and June. So you never know when you just might get lucky and score with an acrobatic tarpon or a hard-bodied snook.

March is also a whimsical month. One day you are winter fishing, and the next day it’s summer. Of course, much depends on the weather; the colder the spring, the later this metamorphosis takes place. But it is a safe bet that sometime this month, pompano, trout and sheepshead will take a back seat to snook, tarpon and sharks.

The big spring tarpon will begin to show up in the backcountry of the southern region of the Ten Thousand Islands. Expect the first fish to be caught down around Shark River, and then the action will move north. Broad River Bay and Tarpon Bay will become sure bets as the month progresses.

Offshore, the first tarpon will appear in the north Naples area just south of Sanibel in 40 to 50 feet of water and then move closer in. During a warm March, this migration will take place quite rapidly, but any major cold fronts will stall the action. During seasonable weather, by month’s end the tarpon will have moved inshore into about 25 feet of water, as well as into the Ten Thousand Islands and into more populated areas like Marco River and Naples Bay.

Tarpon can be caught in many ways, from dead baits to flies, but most anglers choose red-and-white shallow-running plugs. A MirrOlure, Bagley’s Finger Mullet, D.O.A. Bait Buster, and the legendary Heddon Lucky 13 are all favorite offerings. Simply find rolling tarpon, drag your lure through them and hope that they are in the mood, because tarpon, like the month of March, can also be capricious.

Spring snook fishing begins in the shallow backbays as the fish migrate from the backcountry creeks to the Gulf. In the Naples area, Rookery Bay and Johnsons Bay are very good. Estero Bay is excellent, and all of the middle bays from Buttonwood to Fakahatchee all the way to Alligator Bay should hold snook. Creek mouths add to your chances, especially where you find downed trees, oyster bars or holes. If you do not have any favorite spots, simply pole a shoreline and cast. In time, you should find a snook. Again, shallow-running plugs are very good. Live baits are wonderful but often difficult to find, and there is always the reliable jig which still probably outfishes any other artificial in the Islands.

Just because tarpon and snook are beginning to show does not mean that they are easily caught. As mentioned above, March teases you with many more fish than you’ll bring home, so if you’re out for a few fillets, it is sometimes best to forget these prestigious luminaries, and just enjoy a fun day of trout fishing. March is one of the prime months for trout. If the water is clean, they will gather at the top half of the tide over the large grassy areas that dot the coast, and will mix with pompano, bluefish, mackerel, jacks and ladyfish to form an extremely enticing, entertaining fishery. Jigs, spoons, or shrimp under popping corks should provide hours of nonstop action and a very satisfying evening meal.