Warming that began last week was good news for anglers, who were taking advantage of a better bite thanks to fish having a little more energy to fuel their quest for food. Particularly notable was reports of Spanish mackerel showing up in catches near the Gandy Bridge area, and even better action on them around the Skyway Bridge. Schools of black drum also began showing on flats ahead of their spawning activity. With the continue warming predicted, anglers may see some of the snook that have been holed up in warmer, deeper backwaters, creeks and rivers, poking their noses out closer to the bay to hunt for food.
Guide bites
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George reports he’s been pounding the docks along the Pinellas side of the bay from around downtown St. Petersburg up to near the Gandy Bridge, doing well on a mixed bag of mangrove snapper, big sheepshead and some redfish. The recent warming has seen schools of scaled sardines return and he’s been using the smaller ones, along with live shrimp for bait. He noted that the average size of the sheepshead, which take shrimp, is much improved over the past week or so. Working into residential canals that are about 6 feet deep, his anglers have been connecting with trout in fair numbers. Soft-plastic paddle tails on jig heads are working, as are small, live sardines. The open grass flats of the bay also are holding some trout, but not as many as canals. Backwater mangroves are producing a few smaller snook on live sardines. Rock piles in 10 to 12 feet of water are another place he’s getting the sheepshead, and these fish are among the largest landed on recent trips.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Zack says customers have been enjoying the rebound of the bay bite following some warming. Redfish have moved out of backwaters, with fish schooling around rocks and oyster bars, as well as mangroves. The areas at the top of the bay off Rocky and Double Branch creeks have been particularly good, and are producing some large fish. Trout are on the grass flats in the Gandy Bridge area, with 5 to 7 feet of water a good depth to work. Early in the day, they are hanging a little deeper, off the drops at the edges of flats. Whiting fishing has been good in deeper channels, with the Gandy boat ramp channel a good producer. Over the past week, a few anglers reported taking whiting off the drops of grass flats, as well. The Spanish mackerel returned after the warming, though they are scattered between the Gandy and the St. Pete Pier. The numbers are much better at the Skyway Bridge. Sheepshead are on rocks, docks and bridge pilings in good numbers, along with a few mangrove snapper. The pilings of the Gandy Bridge have been giving up a few black drum to anglers fishing with buck tailed jigs and pieces of blue crab. The only snook reported over the past week have come from well up the rivers or deep into other, warmer backwaters.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Jacob says the warming trend has sparked the bay bite, with one of the more notable changes being schools of black drum on the flats for the start of their annual spawning period. The flats around Fort De Soto have been holding quite a few, with small- to medium-sized live shrimp producing. Gulp artificial shrimp also have taken some. Trout fishing is fired up all over bay grass flats, with some good catches made in as little as 3 feet of water. Redfish action has been just OK of late, with Big Island Gap one of the most reliable places to find them. Snook remain lethargic, as the water is still too cool to ignite them into a feeding mode. That could change this week, however, as the forecast calls for days in the mid 70-degrees.