Guide bites
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck says the late season cold front last week sent water temperatures in the bay plunging, but now we’re in full recovery and the excellent bite that was developing prior to the cold is upon us. Black drum schools were moving up into the bay last week, and that activity should continue this week. The best redfish action likely will be at the top of the bay and with decent tides anglers should be able to target small schools of fish around creek mouths, oyster bars and mangroves above the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Flats just above the Howard Frankland Bridge also have been holding some schooling fish. Spanish mackerel are up to nearly the Gandy Bridge, with schools working the deeper water in the middle of the bay. Trout have been shallow, with big fish in as little as 18 inches of water. Live sardines have been working well and the good news for live-bait anglers is that the sardines are back on the grass flats. Those who prefer artificials may want to work top-water plugs early in the day.
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George says this is the week to get out fishing. With the return of warmer weather, the slow-down of the bite following the cold front last week should reverse, and all inshore species are likely to be active and feeding. Snook will be back to hunting along flooded mangroves and around docks on the Pinellas side of the bay below the Gandy Bridge area. His anglers have taken fish to 30 inches on recent trips, with live sardines the bait of choice. The sardines also are working well on trout, which have been around the drop-offs of shallow grass flats. Soft-plastic Sea Shad tails on jig heads also work, producing fish between 15 and 19 inches. Redfish are starting to bunch up in small schools, with most he’s found being under mangroves on high water. The face of Weedon Island is where he’s done well on recent trips. Pinellas Point also has been holding them in decent numbers, though there they have been on the small side, with lots of undersized fish. Rock piles in the open bay in 10 to 12 feet of water continue to produce a nice mix of sheepshead and mangrove snapper grunts on live shrimp.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Zack says customers have been finding schools of Spanish mackerel in the deeper water of the open bay nearly to the Howard Frankland Bridge. They also are reporting spotting some cobia showing up around channel markers and tripods in various places around the bay, and with more warming sightings are likely to become more numerous. Trout fishing has been pretty good, with grass flats in 6 to 7 feet of water near Weedon and Picnic islands producing fair numbers on live shrimp under popping corks. Many have been finding slot-sized reds and the word is that they are showing up in bigger schools over the past week or so. A few did well on them on the flats around Weedon Island. More and more snook are venturing out to the outside mangroves, docks and bars in the bay, and that picture only gets better with continued warming. Those fishing the edges of the deeper channels in the bay have been scoring keeper-sized mangrove snapper and the sheepshead bite has held up around rocks, docks and bridge pilings, with live shrimp or fiddler crabs working best.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Jacob says anglers have been enjoying a good bite, which should only get better with the return of warming water this week. Snook have moved out of the canals and deeper backwaters and are taking live sardines well. Spanish mackerel schools are moving up the bay, and as more baits schools show up, their numbers will increase. Anglers have scored some big reds around Mullet Key and small schools are starting show up more regularly. Flounder have been around in fair numbers. To target them, work sandy patches on grass flats and around bars with bucktail jigs. A few have found pompano around the Tierra Verde bridges. Kings were showing up in the Gulf just off the bay before the cold front last week and anglers may find them active and at least starting to show in good numbers in the day ahead.