Rainy weather of late can be a spoiler for anglers trying to get on the water, but its cooling powers are good news, and water temperatures in the bay are down.
Bay water was well into the 90-degree range but fell into the high 80s after rains last week. With more rain forecast for this week, we can expect further cooling, and that’s likely to spike the fishing action, as fish will have more energy for hunting food.
Anglers need to adjust, however, as fresh water flushing out of creeks and spillways into the bay can move the action, as fish push out of backwaters. Snook are tolerant of brackish water, but trout and reds are more apt to be looking for more salinity, where more baitfish, shrimp and crabs also will be hanging out. Other species, like salt-loving Spanish mackerel may thin out in the bay, likely moving more toward the mouth or into the Gulf.
Tarpon hunters will find them content to stay inside the bay, as they adapt well to fluctuating salinity levels.
Guide bites
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813) 918-8356:Capt. Chuck says the mangrove snapper bite is great, with fish around any kind of structure, oyster bars and even flats near mangroves. Small, live sardines are working well. Redfish are around the mangroves on high water, with good numbers of fish over the past week in the area of the Gandy Bridge. Lots of small ones are common, but there also are some slot fish to be had. Live sardines or fresh cut bait takes them. Trout fishing slowed a bit, and the Spanish mackerel appear to have moved south in the bay as rains dump freshwater. A nice bonus catch on recent trips has been flounder, which have been on the shallow flats off mangroves. They take the same smaller live sardines he’s using for the snapper.
Capt. George Hastick (727) 525-1005: Capt. George reports that the redfish bite in the bay has been pretty good, with slot-sized and smaller fish hanging under the shade of mangroves on sunny days, moving off the growth onto the open flat about 20 feet out on overcast days. Live sardines have been producing well fishing the Pinellas side of the bay from around Pinellas Point to near the Gandy Bridge. The snook have been on the same pattern, staying cool in the shade on hot, sunny days and moving off a few feet onto the open flats in overcast conditions. Live sardines have been taking smaller males, but a 32-inch fish was hooked on a recent trip. He’s also connecting with some mangrove snapper 12 to 14 inches near the mangroves. Moving out to rocks in 8 to 10 feet of water along that stretch of the bay has been turning up some juvenile gag grouper, which provide some great catch-and-release sport on light tackle. Trout are not he grass bottom in 5 to 6 feet of water, taking live sardines and Sea Shad soft-plastic tails on jig heads. A few pods of schooling jacks are popping up here and there, with fish to 5 pounds hooked on resenting outings. There still are some mackerel around, though he hasn’t been fishing for them. Look around range markers and in deeper, open water in the middle of the bay, as well as along the edges of drop-offs from grassy trout flats. Tarpon in the 50- to 70-pound class have been rolling around the Gandy Bridge and nearby flats.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813) 839-5551: Zack reports that the redfish bite has been holding up, with anglers scoring around mangroves and oyster bars below and above the Gandy Bridge on both sides of the bay. Docks also are giving up a few. More snook are being reported as spawning fish from the Gulf beaches and passes begin to work their way back up into the bay. Mangroves and docks are where to look. Trout have moved a little deeper over the past week, with anglers doing best fishing grass flats in at least 5 feet of water, and often deeper. A few are finding tripletail around markers, with live shrimp taking a few. Mangrove snapper fishing along rocky channel edges has been good, with many anglers reporting better action than around bridge pilings. Small, live pinfish have been taking some nice fish. Some have been hooking some sheepshead in the channels. Tarpon are feeding along the Gandy Bridge at night. Live baits fished along the light line on the incoming tides have been producing hookups.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727) 954-6365: Jacob says the bite slowed on most species over the past week. Between hot water, hot days and a lot of anglers opting out due to the warm conditions, the number of reports coming into the shop are down. Jacob says the mangrove snapper bite remains solid, with 30-gram vertical jigs on inshore reefs (also reefs offshore) doing the job. Flounder are being taken on knocker rigs baited with frozen finger mullet in several of the Gulf passes. Reds have been schooling from the middle to upper bay, with recent rains, which can flush crabs and shrimp out of backwaters, apparently sparking better action. Chunks of cut threadfin shad fished around flooded mangrove lines has been working. Snook remain on the beaches and in the passes as we are in the tail-end of the spawn. Early morning is the time to target them. The bite peaked with the last full moon. Most have been reporting poor action on trout over the past week. Tarpon are around the Skyway Bridge, though reports are that the numbers are starting to thin out. Expect the fish to be around into October, with their numbers between now and then falling further.