Guide bites
Capt. Josh Fritz (352) 345-9304: Capt. Josh says the redfish bite has been good, with incoming tides and hard-bottom points and bars where to find them. He’s been doing best on incoming tides using fresh, cut mullet for bait. Live pinfish also are doing the trick. There are some trout on the shallower grass flats, but at this time of year anglers may want to go where the numbers are better. Look in 12 to 13 feet of water where there is a solid grass bottom. Use jigs with soft plastic tails or live shrimp in the grass. Offshore, the mangrove snapper bite could not be much better. It can take a fair amount of chumming to get them feeding, but when they turn on, the numbers and sizes have been great. Start in 30 feet of water around rocks, working deeper if needed.
Capt. Matt Cowden (727-534-6603): Capt. Matt says the snook bite is holding up well, with fish moving from the coastal beaches to mangroves in backwaters. Fishing very close to the growth is best. The redfish have been right there with them, with both species taking fresh cut bait well, which is to be expected in the very warm water. Trout are on the grass flats along the Pasco coast, with good action in 5 to 7 feet of water. Scalloping has been solid, though Capt. Matt notes that working flats off the northern part of the county has been the key, as the water there is clear and hunting is a lot easier. In general, look for good visibility and lush, grass bottom.
Capt. Cody Albright (727) 992-3918: Capt. Cody reports that the redfish bite in Pasco waters has been very good. He’s finding schools of 15 to 30 fish with regularity. For trout, he recommends grass flats in 5 to 7 feet of water. A lot of juvenile tarpon are around, with fish staging in the rivers and many residential canals. For snook, the spawning fish that had been on the beaches have moved in. Look for them around the mouths of the Cotee and Anclote rivers, as well as in deep creeks.
Tackle shop roundup
The Rusty Bucket (727) 645-6598: Capt. Bill describes the redfish bite over the past week as “amazing.” The fish are bunching up on flats, as well as inside creeks. Live sardines or pinfish, as well as cut bait is working. The best action is in the early mornings, which is when anglers will want to fish to avoid the heat. Snooks have been a bit finicky of late, but they occasionally turn on and bite very well, so patience is the key. Live sardines fished around mangroves when the water is or in channels when the tide drops is the key to success. Tarpon numbers have fallen but there still are fish around, so anyone who has yet to get a silver king still has a shot at it. The bigger fish have been on the deep flats off the coast and around the islands. For the smaller fish up to about 20 pounds, residential canals are the place to find them. Free-line live pinfish are what they want.
Armed Anglers (727) 945-1808: Capt. Griff says the hot weather and warm water have added up to fewer anglers on the water and slower action among those who have been fishing. There are plenty of trout on the grass flats out of the Anclote River, though most have been undersized. There have been some decent reports on Spanish mackerel on the deep flats and around Anclote Key. Snook anglers are connecting with some around the points of the island, and Three Rooker Bar to the south has produced a few. Sharks are abundant and anglers fishing with cut bonito chunks off the mouth of the Anclote power plant at night have been landing two or three large fish a night. Offshore, the mangrove snapper bite beyond 30 feet of water has been pretty good and a few have reported keeper red grouper fishing “deep,” though they have not said how deep. Typically at this time of year that species is best found starting at around 70 to 80 feet. Scalloping along the Pasco coast has been a mixed bag of reports of quick limits and striking out. Griff advises people who having trouble to keep moving and look for the areas where lots of boats are flying dive flags. If the boats are staying in one area it’s a sign that the scalloping there is good, or at least good enough.