Guide bites
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck reports bay water temperatures are down to around 82 degrees and the bite is picking up. He’s working mangroves for reds and finding small pods of fish. Look for schools around Cockroach Bay. Threadfish shad and glass minnows are schooling in open water below the Gandy Bridge at the drops off flats in 5 to 6 feet of water and that’s attracting schools of mackerel. For better mackerel action the Skyway Bridge is where to find them.
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George says the snook and reds are pushed up along the mangroves on high water and both are taking live sardines. He’s working the Pinellas side of the bay above St. Pete and doing well on both. Trout are on the grass flats, with the flats with some sand holes the best. Quarter-ounce jigs with plastic tails are working in 5 to 6 feet of water. Mangrove snapper fishing remains good on submerged rocks in 6 to 15 feet of water. Some fish to 15 inches have been landed on recent trips. Mackerel are up to mid-bay, but the main body of fish is around the Skyway Bridge, where schools of bluefish also are showing up.
Tackle shop roundup
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Billy reports anglers are reporting excellent fishing, with action on all species picking up as we transition into a fall fishing pattern. The number of redfish being caught is up, with anglers finding schooling fish at Picnic and Weedon islands. Cut bait is still producing well, but many have been taking their fish on live shrimp or sardines. Billy says the live shrimp he’s getting at the shop now have been huge. He joked that if anglers happen to strike out, their leftover shrimp will make a great meal. Snook are on the outside mangroves and at creek mouths and are “going crazy” for live bait. As the bay water cools, more and more larger sheepshead are showing up in catches. They are around docks, rocks and bridge pilings and take live or frozen shrimp well. Mangrove snapper fishing slowed a bit over the past week, according to what customers are saying. There still are some tarpon in the bay, with the bigger fish cruising the bridges at night and juveniles in the backwaters of Riviera Bay. Billy’s tip of the week is to fish Coffeepot Bayou. He sent a brand new Florida angler there to fish around the Snell Isle bridge and he returned with news of taking a snook, red and trout there for an inshore slam — not a bad start.
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Zack says more mackerel have moved up to around the Gandy Bridge area. Look for schools busting baitfish in open water above and below the bridge. Spoons or cut bait will take them. Redfish are running in small schools on both sides of the bay. Look for them around rocks, oysters and flooded mangroves. Weedon Island and Picnic Island have been producing some nice catches. Mangrove snapper fishing remains pretty good on bridge pilings and other structure and the sheepshead bite has improved in some of the same spots. Snook have been biting well, with most of the action around mangroves and creeks early and late in the day. He notes that anglers are finding them on shallow flats, but those fish are not taking baits. Bay markers and tripods have been holding some tripletail. A few big tarpon are still around, though the schools are thinning out.
Clearwater Bait & Tackle (727-669-5455): Bob reports anglers are enjoying some pretty good fishing along the Courtney Campbell Causeway and the top of the bay. Redfish action has picked up over the past week, with anglers finding them along the Causeway bridge area. Live shrimp has been working best. Snook anglers have been tangling with some nice fish around bridge pilings and bases and there are good numbers of trout up and down the Causeway on either side. Schools of Spanish mackerel have moved up as far as the Causeway, with some nice catches over the past week. Look for them feeding on schools of baitfish.
