Guide bites
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George reports the bite coming into the cold weather this week will change to more action in deeper water and warmer backwater areas. He’s been fishing mostly around the Gandy Bridge area and finding reds on mangroves and oyster bars and expects that will remain a good bet this week. The snook that came out last week to take advantage of a warming trend will not be liking the cold nights this week, however, and will move off the mangroves and bars to find deeper, warmer water in the backcountry or residential canals. Trout fishing has been reliable on the grass flats in 6 feet of water, with live sardines, shrimp and jigs with soft-plastic Sea Shad tails producing. He’s also finding them on shell and coral bottom in about 7 feet of water. They may move a little deeper this week with cooling water. Silver trout are active, with deeper canals and channels holding them. The channel coming out of the Gandy Boat ramp on the Hillsborough side of the bay has been holding them. Once found, it can be a fish on every cast using shrimp or jigs with the Sea Shad tails. Most of those his customers have landed have been between 10 and 14 inches. Sheepshead fishing has been only so-so, with fish found on dock and bridge pilings. The bite may fire up with the cooler water expected this week. Use live fiddler crabs or shrimp. Schools of jacks have been roaming the Gandy area. If spotted, they will take any artificial or live bait thrown.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Zack says the warmer weather last week meant more active, feeding fish, though cold weather this week is going to change the picture. Snook that had pushed into the rivers and canals came out to hunt but look for them to take refuge in the deeper water this week. Redfish are not as affected by temperature drops, and Zack expects the bite to remain pretty good. The best action has been at the top of the bay, with fish around Double Branch and Rocky Creek. The average size has been better over the past week, with not so many of the undersized rat reds that we’ve been seeing. Trout fishing has been decent on grass flats in 6 feet of water in the Gandy Bridge area. The fish have been shallow when the sun warms things up, dropping deeper early and late in the day. Live shrimp and jigs with soft-plastic tails have been working well. Sheepshead fishing has been pretty good for customers fishing bridge and dock pilings. Live fiddler crabs or shrimp has been getting it done. There have been reports of cobia hanging out around channel markers and tripods. Likewise for tripletail. Those free-lining shrimp around markers have landed a few.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Billy says the snook bite that got fired up last week is likely to be history this week due to cold nights pushing bay water temperatures down. The fish that had popped out of the backwaters and rivers to feed will be back in their warmer, deep-water spots, at least until we see some more warming. Redfish action in places like Riviera Bay around oyster bars has been good, and likely will remain so over the next few days. The No. 1 tip is to fish the trailing end of mullet schools, as the red shave has been tagging along behind them to scoop up shrimp, crabs and minnows flushed out of hiding by the mullet. Trout fishing has been fairly reliable, with fish on grass bottom in 4 to 7 feet of water, taking live shrimp well. A number of customers reported taking some small sharks in the bay. Small blacktips, sandbar sharks and bonnetheads have been common. Offshore, the hogfish bite continues to be great, with anglers finding the most between 40 and 75 feet of water. Live shrimp gets it done.
Angler 360 (727-669-5455): The bite has been pretty good at the top of the bay, with customers taking reds around the creek mouths and on oyster bars above the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Rocky and Double Branch creeks have been go-to producers with live shrimp. The warmer weather last week sparked the snook action in some of the same spots, though expect them to retreat into warmer backwaters with the colder nights this week. Trout have been on the grass flats above the causeway, taking live shrimp under popping corks or jigs.