Guide bites
Capt. Cody Albright (727-992-3918): Capt. Cody has been tangling with snook along the beach at Anclote Key, where some big spawning fish and smaller males are cruising and taking baits well. They are out of season so they should be landed and released quickly. He’s also putting his anglers on some solid redfish action along the Pasco coast and is finding schools of up to 30 fish or more close to the shade of mangroves. The fish are slow-moving, as their energy levels drop in the hot water we’re seeing now. That makes fresh cut bait the optimum offering, as the fish don’t have to work hard chasing it down like a live bait or moving artificial. If anglers do want to throw lures, be sure to slow them “way down.” The last 90 minutes of the outgoing tide has been a good time to fish them, with the first part of the incoming the next best opportunity to score. The cobias are sticking around on the shallow grass flats and live sardines or pinfish are good natural baits to throw, though they take a variety of artificials when feeding. Sharks are everywhere on the shallow grass beds all along the coast. Find grassy bottom in 4 feet of water and you’ll find sharks, Albright said. The tarpons are still around, as well, with pods of fish moving up and down the coast on the deeper flats. Getting a live pinfish out in front of a pod and waiting for them to intercept it is the ticket.
Capt. Matt Cowden (727-534-6603): Capt. Matt says for reliable action, it’s hard to top redfish right now. Water temperatures have been 85 degrees and warmer along Pasco and that’s making the reds a bit lazy, so he recommends going with fresh cut bait. The scent helps the reds find the bait and when they do, they don’t have to work hard for it. Snook are on the beaches but winds that began last week have the water really stirred up, making sight-fishing for them difficult. Lots of sharks around and tarpon are still here for those looking for a fight.
Tackle shop roundup
The Rusty Bucket (727-645-6598): Capt. Bill says tarpon have been nearly everywhere he’s gone south of Anclote Key, and to a lesser extent around the sand bar north of the island. They also are taking baits very well, with live thread finds and pinfish getting their attention. Snook are on the beach at the island, taking the same baits. The night bite there has been best and it’s the time anglers who like throwing artificial baits will have a better chance at a big fish. Trout fishing remains solid, with fish thick near channels and along deeper drop-offs near the plunge from the shallow sand bar north of the Key. Redfish have been schooling on the flats but for the best action, get in on the early morning bite or wait until near evening, when the fish are more actively feeding than in the heat of the day. Fresh cut bait is ideal for summer reds, particularly when they slow down due to warm water. Capt. Bill has logged water temperatures in the low 90s of late. Fishing early, late and after darks really is a good strategy now through the remainder of summer.
Tarpon Trading Company (727-937-1488): Guy reports that customers have been finding decent numbers of trout on the deeper grass flats and at Anclote Key. An area captain did well on big redfish working the mangroves on the back side of the island, taking fish no smaller than 24 inches and a number of oversized ones. The snook are on the beach at the island for the summer spawn and large, live baits are what the biggest fish like to see, with pinfish, threadfin shad, grunts and mullet favorites at this time of year. A few have reported hooking snook around the mouth of the Anclote River, so not all of them are out on the beach for the summer spawn. Word is the tarpon remain along the coast in good numbers, with pods of fish popping up around Anclote Key and the islands to the south with regularity. He hasn’t heard much about red snapper since the season opened, though one angler reported having a hard time finding fish on a trip to about 120 feet of water. They had a day with seven fish, though none were very big.
Armed Angler (727-945-1808): Michael says many customers are spotting pods of tarpon on the flats off the Anclote River and Anclote Island. Large live baits like grunts, mullet and ladyfish are taking a few. The big live baits also are working on the large snook on the beach at the island. Michael says the grunts are tops when available, as the species likes to feed on the eggs of snook, which are on the beach now to lay their eggs and eat any grunt that gets near them. Redfish action has been decent, with anglers reporting good catches around oyster bars and rocks in Baily’s Bluff, as well as bars to the north around Sandy Bay. Fresh cut bait has been the best way to go, as the reds are not as active in the warm water we’ve been experiencing and chasing their food is too much work. Trout fishing has just been OK on the grass flats, with the best chance in 5 feet and deeper due to the cooler conditions near the bottom. Live shrimp or jigs with soft plastics work fine. Offshore, boat fishing in 50 to 60 feet of water have been doing well using live shrimp of hogfish and mangrove snapper. Red grouper of keeper size can show up starting at those depths, and there are plenty of gag grouper, though they are out of season. A few have reported taking amberjack in deep water over structure.
J&J Bait and Tackle (727-940-7928): James reports that customers have been taking a mixed bag of snook, a few reds and trout while fishing waters just off the Anclote River. The snook have taken up on the beach at Anclote Key, where they will spawn through the summer. Large, live baits take the big ones. Reds have been around mangroves and spoils near the mouth of the river and along the rocky coastal spots just to the north. The bite has slowed on them, however, with most anglers noting the very warm water is responsible. Cut bait is the way to go. Trout are on the grass flats in 4 to 8 feet of water, with live shrimp and jigs taking them. Expect lots of undersized fish. There have been pods of tarpon in the Anclote area, though customers have been saying it’s hard to get them to bite most days.