Substantial rains beginning last week have roped in the runaway bay water temperatures, with water measuring as low as 83 degrees going into the weekend. More rain was forecast for this week, which should keep the water temperatures down.
It’s been a good development for anglers. Other than having to time trips to avoid the showers and lightning, the fish have responded by getting more active and chasing bait now that the hot water isn’t sapping their energy levels. It’s particularly good news for those who like to fish with artificials, as snook, reds and trout are more apt to engage and chase down lures.
Guide bites
Capt. George Hastick 727-525-1005: Capt. George reports snook became active over the past week, most likely due to cooler bay water temperatures. They’ve been taking live sardines fished close to mangroves when the water is high and moving. To get them into more open water, he’s been chumming with live baits, which brings them out 10 to 15 feet from the growth, lessening the chance of losing hooked fish in the mangrove roots. He’s been picking up the reds the same way, taking up to oversized fish. When found, the reds have been running alone or in pairs. He’s used fresh cut bait to take some of them; the biggest snook hooked over the past week took a cut bait.
Trout fishing on grass flats with patch sand holes has been producing some trout, with a mix of fish from undersized to 19 inches. Live sardines and Sea Shad soft plastics on jig heads are working on the Pinellas and Hillsborough sides of the Bay below the Gandy Bridge. He’s chummed for them with live sardines and notes that they are very energetic feeders, rising off the bottom to crash the baits on the surface the way that’s typical of snook. Mangrove snapper are turned on, taking small, live sardines around various types of structure.
He’s been taking quite a few keeper-sized fish around dock pilings and rocks in 8 to 10 feet of water. The pilings of the Gandy Bridge are another place to take them reliably. Shrimp works well, though he’s been netting a lot of small sardines that are size perfectly for the snapper. He hasn’t fished for them, but he’s seeing a good number of rolling tarpon between 50 and 80 pounds near his boat most days.
Capt. Chuck Rogers 813-918-8356: Capt. Chuck says the cooler water has sparked the bay bite, with trout, reds and a few snook all landed on his recent trips. He’s fishing live sardines around flooded mangroves on moving tides, taking snook and reds, with some of the reds quite large. He advises anglers to place baits as close to the growth as possible to entice fish that are tucked well back inside. Trout fishing around sandy potholes on grass flats in 3 to 4 feet of water got fired up when water temperatures began dropping from rain. They had been schooling in 6 feet of water and deeper. Live sardines have been working well on them. Mangrove snapper fishing is good, with fish on bridge pilings, under docks and on rocks. Small, live sardines will take them. One of his anglers hooked an undersized tripletail hanging around some floating weeds at the Howard Frankland Bridge, and other sources reported finding them with regularity now around range markers in the bay. They take live shrimp free-lined but the one landed on his trip fell for a small, live sardine.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle 813-839-5551: Grayson reports that anglers have been taking some nice, mixed bags over the past week. Trout fishing has been pretty good on the shallow grass flats in the Gandy Bridge area. Getting out himself for some fishing, he did well on them just off Picnic Island. Redfish action around oyster bars and mangroves has been good in the same region, with customers reported taking multiple fish on their trips. Mangrove snapper fishing has been particularly good, with many reporting a solid bite around the pilings of the Gandy Bridge on both sides of the bay. The tarpon remain in pretty good numbers, with a few having success fishing under the Gandy Bridge, particularly at night. Setting out a live bait along the light line will intercept the big silver kings as they cruise the bridge.
Riviera Bait & Tackle 727-954-6365: Jacob says the reds have been pushing up into the bay, sparked by all the recent rain. Cut bait fished around flooded mangroves has been taking them. Many note that the fish they hook have been running alone rather than pods or schools. Snook that have been on the beaches for the spawn are moving up into the bay as well. There still are some on the Gulf beaches, however, and anglers are taking them in the early morning using twitch baits. They are out of season and must be released. Mangrove snapper fishing is off the chain, with many great catches reported. Fish have been around the pilings off all the bay bridges. Some of the largest taken have been under the Skyway Bridge on the incoming tides.