Guide bites
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George reports some very good trips over the past week. He had his best day working flats around Fort De Soto and docks in Tierra Verde, where his anglers scored a wide variety of species. In a one-hour period, trout, snook, Spanish mackerel, reds, small gag grouper and flounder were landed before the bite slowed. The trout were in 5 feet of water on the grass beds, but if a cast went off the edge of the flat into deeper water, a mackerel would grab the bait. The trout taken were 22 inches and macks ran between 18 and 20 inches. All the fish taken that day were on live sardines. Farther inside the bay from downtown St. Petersburg to the Gandy Bridge area has been good, as well. Reds and snook are around docks and mangroves on high tides and out in the middle of the bay there were plenty of Spanish mackerel. He hasn’t fished there, but sources are reporting the south Pinellas beaches are loaded with mackerel. Grass beds in the Fort De Soto area were holding big numbers of trout, including slot-sized fish.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck says bay water temperatures over the past week were nearing the 70s and the fish like it. Fishing a 12-species tournament, his anglers managed to take eight on the catch list fishing in the area of the Gandy Bridge. The conditions were windy, so he spent a lot of time tucked in residential canals, working docks with live sardines. Trout, snook, reds, mangrove snapper and flounder are taken. On the open grass flats in 6 to 8 feet of water they found a number of nice trout, along with Spanish mackerel and flounder. There is live bait everywhere in the bay right now and Capt. Chuck ran across a few schools of the big bull reds that typically show up at this time of year. All the reds were in deep water and moving. Once they start moving up on flats to take their time rooting along the bottom for food, they will be more receptive to taking a bait.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Bill says customers have been reporting some fantastic action. Cooling bay water has been just the spark everyone has been waiting for. Trout fishing on grass flats above and below the Gandy Bridge has been excellent, with plenty of big fish showing up. Those looking only for the big ones are finding them around rock points, rip-rap and oyster bars. The redfish have been schooling along the east Pinellas side of the bay from downtown St. Petersburg to Pinellas Point, with lots of slot-sized fish. Many have reported that cut bait has been best. The recipe is to chum with three or four chunks and then cast into the area of the chum and wait for the scent to draw the reds in. Fresh ladyfish and mullet are tops. Reds also have been bunching up off Port Manatee and in Cockroach Bay. Some decent reports of pompano have been coming in. Anglers fishing shell and hard-bottom areas in the bay have been taking them, along with those fishing the Gulf beaches. Bill says jigs dragged along the bottom mimic crabs and sand fleas best, so anglers may want to try this technique rather than hopping the baits off the bottom. There still are fair numbers of tarpon being hooked in the bay. Fish have been on the deeper flats during the day in many areas inside, with the bridges producing hookups after dark.