Guide bites
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George reports that his main catch in the cold conditions we’ve been seeing has been a mix of sheepshead and trout. Deeper canals have been holding both, and he’s primarily been working the Pinellas side of the bay from around the Gandy Bridge south to the St. Pete Pier. Live shrimp has been working best for both, though when available, fiddler crabs have been best for the sheepshead. He rigs the baits with a No. 1 or No. 1/0 circle hook, which ensures more reliable hookups with the sheepshead, which are particularly adept at stripping bait off hooks. The docks where he’s finding the sheepshead also have been giving up some small reds when using shrimp. Fish 15 to 20 inches have been landed. Other spots holding fish in the very cold Bay water include rock piles in 10 feet of water and deeper. Sheepshead, mangrove snapper and grunts, along with the odd undersized gag grouper make up the catch.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck says the past week for him has been working on the boat and other chores. The very cold weather and customers who wanted to avoid it was the reason. Conditions are going to be much the same this week, he suspects, predicting that we are looking at least another week before we see enough warming to raise bay water temperatures and active dormant fish. Until then, those who want to try fishing will do best concentrating on the species that remain active in cold water. Sheepshead are one of those and anglers fishing with live or frozen shrimp around docks in canals will find them. The canals of Shore Acres and other communities south of Weedon Island have been good spots to find them, and, according to sources, some of the fish landed have been quite large. The small army of silver trout and whiting anglers who take advantage of the cold-hardy species have been anchored up and fishing off the power plant at Weedon. Both species hang out near the bottom in deeper water, taking live and frozen shrimp well. Offshore buddies have been fishing through the cold conditions over the past week, working ledges in 50 to 60 feet of water in the Gulf and doing well on hogfish, big grunts and some porgies. Capt. Chuck is a meticulous chronicler of fishing conditions in the bay, with a fishing diary dating back many years. He notes that not since 2009 and 2010 have we seen and many consecutive days of cold as we have this winter. He also notes that the low tides we’ve seen of late are among the lowest in recent history.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Zack says the number of anglers has fallen off since the cold weather arrive, but a few die-hards have been staying at it. Sheepshead have been the main catch for many, the fish around bridge and dock pilings taking shrimp or fiddler crabs, when they are available. When neither is in supply (cold weather means both can become scarce), frozen sand fleas have been the best alternative. A few fishing the canals in the Gandy Bridge area reported hooking some redfish. There also were a few redfish reports that came from anglers fishing Snug Harbor, Safety Harbor and at Rocky Creek above the Courtney Campbell Causeway. The trout have moved to water 8 feet and deeper due to the cold, sometimes moving onto shallower grass beds and around oyster bars in the afternoons when the sun is shining. A few have reported finding some tripletail around markers in Hillsborough Bay and angles have found a few cobia hanging around the warm-water outflow at the Big Bend power plant in Apollo Beach. Whiting have been a good bet in the channel out of the Gandy boat ramp, with fish taking frozen or live shrimp on the bottom.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Jacob reports cold weather and bay water may be making a lot of species a bit lazy but the sheepshead bite has been “of fire.” Tolerant of cold water, the bite has remained strong, though this week will be the real test of their resiliency. Docks, rocks and bridge pilings are where to find them with shrimp, fiddler crabs or alternative baits like sand fleas working. Though it might not be the story this week following some very cold nights, the trout bite has remained pretty good. They have been holding in deeper water off docks in Coffeepot Bayou, taking MirrOdine plugs well. Reds have been around docks, as well, though they are slower than usual to feed due to the cold water. Fresh, cut mullet is a good bait that doesn’t require the reds to give chase, expending energy the cold water has sapped from them. Snook have pushed well into Allen’s and Joe’s creeks, where a few anglers have had some luck with live mud minnows or finger mullet. Juvenile black drum have been hooked in the Gulf beach passes on frozen shrimp or chunks of crab fished on the bottom.