Guide bites
Capt. George Hastick (727) 525-1005: Capt. George reports that the snook bite has been holding up over the past week. The fish have been deep into the shade of mangroves when the water is high, and he’s been live-chumming with sardines to draw them out of the growth. Most of the fish have been smaller males, but some of 30 inches or more are in the mix. The shade of docks also is holding some. He’s been working the Pinellas side of the bay up to about the Gandy Bridge. Redfish have been in the same spots, though they often are out a few feet away from the mangroves, making them a bit easier to bait. He’s been taking reds between 17 and 30 inches on live sardines and notes that several of the fish landed recently were hooked by casting behind moving mullet schools.
Most of the reds he’s encountered were singles up to groups of three. Trout fishing is pretty good in 4- to 5-feet of water over grass bottom with sandy potholes mixed in. Live sardines under a float of Sea Shad soft-plastic tails have been taking them, with a mix of undersized to slot fish the norm. Flounder have been a bonus some days. On a recent trip he spotted skyrocketing Spanish mackerel feeding on baitfish mid-bay a bit north of the St. Pete Pier. Using spoons and live sardines, he boated several up to 24 inches. He thinks working between off the pier to near the Gandy could turn up a few, with chumming an option to test the waters. Schools of jacks are here and there, and the mangrove snapper fishing remains very good around docks, bridge pilings and rock piles in 8 to 10 feet of water. Small, live sardines work, as does live shrimp. He’s coming across small pods of them moving over flats or hanging in sand holes, and he’s also getting some in his cast net when catching bait. The tarpons are in the bay in good numbers, with fish to 80 pounds rolling in 8 feet of water and deeper on both sides of the bay below the Gandy Bridge. One of his anglers jumped one a bit more than 3-feet-long on a trip, the fish spitting the hook next to the boat.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813) 918-8356: Capt. Chuck says fishing early and late is the ticket if snook are the goal. The fish are along mangrove lines when the water is up, with a tide of at least 2 to 3 feet best. As the sun gets high, they move deep into the shade of mangroves and hard to reach. The early and late bite also is best for reds, which have been around in good numbers. Fish have ranged from below the Gandy Bridge north to the flats off Fourth Street on the Pinellas side of the bay, as well as at Big Island Gap.
The scaled sardine schools are on the grass flats in big numbers. Get them early. Glass minnow schools showed up in force over recent days and schools of jacks fed heavily on them. Spanish mackerel favor them, as well, though the mackerel inside the bay remained a hit-or-miss proposition over the past week. Mangrove snapper fishing is good, with fish on structure, rocks and under docks and around bridge pilings. They feed best when the current is not running strong. Tripletail have been around markers in various part of the bay, though many sources are reporting lots of undersized specimens are most abundant.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813) 839-5551: Zack reports that anglers have been talking most about the strong mangrove snapper fishing. They’ve been around docks and on flats near mangroves early in the day before moving to bridge pilings where deeper water and shade provide a more hospitable environment when the sun gets higher. Live shrimp gets them. The redfish bite has been pretty good along the Hillsborough and Pinellas sides of the bay from the Gandy Bridge north to the Howard Frankland Bridge along mangroves. Snookers have been fishing early and late, with productive spots being the bridge bases on both sides of the bay, but the Pinellas side of the Howard Frankland has been particularly good of late. During the hottest part of the day, some anglers have found them in the shade of the Gandy Bridge. Schools of jacks are around in fair numbers and sharks are everywhere, with boneheads, blacktops and a few bull sharks most abundant. Tarpon remain in the bay in good numbers, with anglers fishing the bridges at night hooking them on live baits. Trout fishing has been best over grassy bottom in about 8 feet of water, though they can be shallower in the cooler parts of the day. Spanish mackerel have been here and there, but not around in numbers that have made them much of a target for anglers.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727) 954-6365: Jacob Jr. says very hot days have cut into the number of anglers fishing. Those who have been out have talked most about the mangrove snapper fishing, which is one of the best options on the table right now. The best action has been around bridge pilings, where cut sardines or threadfin shad have been taking good numbers of keeper-sized fish. Live shrimp also works. Docks and other structure, including rocky channel edges also are holding them, though not as well as the bridges, including the Gandy Bridge. A few trout are being reported by anglers fishing grass beds in 6 to 8 feet of water with shrimp and jigs, though the bite has not been much to brag about. Tarpon remain inside the bay in pretty good numbers, with the bridges at night have been producing the most hookups.