Guide bites
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George reports despite the recent colder weather, the schools of scaled sardines have been on the shallow grass flats over the past week. He’s been using them on the flats around Tierra Verde, along with jigs with Sea Shad soft-plastic tails to take trout. Most of the action has been in 4 to 5 feet of water, with some good numbers of keeper fish in the mix. When he moves to the drop-offs from the flats, his anglers have been connecting with Spanish mackerel. Fishing around the Gandy Bridge, the pattern has been the same. Docks in Tierra Verde are holding reds, including a few oversized fish. Most, however, have been between 20 and 27 inches, with an odd undersized fish. Live sardines are working, but they also are taking live shrimp. The docks there also are loaded up with gag grouper and some snook. With the bay water temperatures down, fewer snook are around mangroves, he noted. Smaller males have made up most of the dock population, though his anglers have hooked some big ones that broke them off wrapping the line around pilings. Schools of jacks are around and provide some great sport. A few small flounder have been incidental catches on his trips, though they are out of season and must be released.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck says bay water rebounded a little from the last big cold front, with sunny days pushing temperatures to the high 60s. Still, the change of conditions slowed the bite on trout. The fish are on the grass flats in 4 to 6 feet of water and taking live sardines, shrimp or jigs. The sardine schools remained on the flats in the Gandy Bridge area following the cold, though a lot of the bait has been small. Redfish have been a bit scattered, with some of the better catches coming from flats around Fort De Soto. As for farther into the bay, it’s a hunting situation, moving along mangroves and bars to find singles or doubles, or perhaps a small pod of fish. Snook moved into canals and creeks after the drop in temperature and many are reporting the fish they find are not taking baits well. Spanish mackerel remain in the bay, though the schools are spotty, making it difficult to target them.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Bill reports that while many worried about how the recent cold would impact the fishing, bay water temperatures didn’t fall as much as expected and fishing over the past week has remained solid all around. Reds have been around bars and mangroves and actively feeding from the Gandy Bridge area north to above the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Live shrimp or cut mullet works well. Snook have pushed into many canals but are not willing feeders many days. He likes a strategy of fishing cut mullet or ladyfish on the bottom and just waiting until they feel like eating. Trout fishing on the grass flats was OK, but Bill thinks they have not fully adapted to the colder water and this week could see that bite pick up. Spanish mackerel remained after the near-freezing weather recently experienced, so they are still an option for anglers. For anglers using artificials, it’s time to slow them down a bit. Colder fish are not as willing to expend their energy chasing.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Jacob says the big snook are on the move toward warmer back bays and canals now that bay water temperatures are down Some very large fish have been spotted in Riviera Bay. Many have been hooked over the past week, with all types of bait producing, particularly live shrimp. Big bull reds have been off Weedon Island, as well as at the top of the bay around the Courtney Campbell Causeway area. Cut mullet or gold spoons fished early in the day have been the ticket. Anglers are reporting the mangrove snapper bite has been falling off, but the greater numbers of sheepshead showing up have taken up the slack. Live shrimp or fiddler crabs around any kind of structure takes them. A few tripletail were taken by anglers fishing near the Skyway Bridge. A yellowtail jig with a live shrimp tail hooked have been working on them. Spanish mackerel remained in the bay over the past week, but could bolt for warmer southern waters any day, so get them while you can. Flounder have been showing up in catches all over the bay and as far north as Clearwater. They are out of season until December.