The summer conditions are making things tough on anglers, but adapting to the weather can pay off. In these conditions, many hit the water at daylight and are back at the ramp to load up before noon. There are afternoon and evening opportunities, as well, when conditions are cooler for anglers and fish alike.
Safety is a concern at this time of year, so staying hydrated and protected from the sun is important. Anglers fishing around afternoon thunderstorms also run a risk with choppy seas and lightning. Waiting until after the late-day storms pass and fishing into evening is a safer bet and likely will be far more productive.
The lights around docks and bridges attract bait like sardines and threadfin shad, crabs and shrimp. That’s where many fish species will be hunting and that’s where anglers will want to be.
Capt. George Hastick (727) 525-1005: Capt. George reports the mangrove snapper bite has turned on, with good numbers of keeper-sized fish in the bay. His anglers have been using small, live sardines to take fish to 16 inches fishing rocks in 8 feet of water or more, but also around rocks and sometimes under mangrove overhangs. He’s been connecting with redfish around the north end of Weedon Island, though the flats around Fort De Soto have been producing a few, as well. There also are decent numbers of them above the Courtney Campbell Causeway around oyster bars, mangroves and creek mouths. Trout have been in on grass and sandy mixed bottom below the Gandy Bridge in 5 to 6 feet of water. There are keepers if you work at it, with live sardines and soft-plastic Sea Shad tails on jig heads working well. Snook are around, with fish taking sardines fished around docks and mangroves on high water. Moving tides are the key to success. Despite the very warm water, there still are some schooling Spanish mackerel between the St. Petersburg artificial reef near the pier to nearly the Gandy Bridge. Their numbers are not as great, but they are quality fish, with 24-inch specimens not unusual. Live sardines take them, but gold spoons also get it done. Lots of sharks are on the flats for anyone interested in chumming and setting out dead bait. The tarpons remain abundant in the bay. Anyone looking to hook one may want to fish under the bay bridges at night with large live baits like crabs or threadfin shad. Capt. George has been having some fun with gag grouper, as well, finding fish around rocks in 10 feet of water, as well as around some docks on the Pinellas side of the bay above St. Petersburg. Fish to 23 inches have been caught and released. The season is closed, so even if a keeper were landed, it must go back.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813) 839-5551: Bill says fishing now is like work — at least after about 11 a.m. when the sun is high and the heat kicks in. His most successful customers have been getting out very early and knocking off before noon, perhaps returning late in the day after rain to work the sunset and evening. Some customers have reported their live bait has been dying in the tank during the hottest part of the day. There is one good option for those who want to fish midday, and that’s anchoring under the Gandy or Howard Frankland bridges and going for mangrove snapper, which have been around in good numbers. Live sardine fry and live shrimp takes them and most have been scoring the odd keeper trout, which have been hanging there in the deeper water to stay cool. The Spanish mackerel sticking around inside the bay has been a little unusual with the water being as hot as it is, but schools have been working open water off downtown St. Petersburg up to near the Gandy Bridge. Some of the fish being hooked have been large. Sharks are everywhere in the bay and there are some big ones. The tarpons remain in good numbers, with fish spread out from the St. Pete Pier to the top of the bay.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727) 954-6365: Jacob says the heat means getting out early and quitting early is the ticket. The mangrove snapper bite under the shade of bridges is good and it is a way for anglers to avoid the scorching sun. Live shrimp or the small, live sardines that are abundant right now are good baits. Some big trout are being taken in the deep water around pilings, as well. The bay reefs also are holding mangrove snapper, with the St. Petersburg reef producing decent catches. Redfish are in deeper water just off mangroves. Get in on the early morning bite. If going for trout, look for grass bottom in 6 to 8 feet of water, as anything shallower is too warm for them. Offshore, Jacob took a trip to 60 feet of water out of the bay and group, which included angling partners, took in a nice haul of hogfish. Fish 80 to 110 feet if yellow-tail snapper are the target and work out to 140 feet for a variety of pelagic species, like tuna, wahoo and kingfish.