Guide bites
Capt. George Hastick (727) 525-1005: Capt. George says he’s been putting his anglers on fair numbers of snook working flooded mangroves and docks along the Pinellas side of the bay to near the Gandy bridge area. Fish have been running between 25 and 33 inches, taking live sardines well. The reds have been under the mangrove overhangs, as well as out away from them about 30 feet, with most between 23 and 30 inches, though some undersized rat reds are part of catch. He’s been pulling up to three fish from a spot before moving on, and some of the reds came by casting live sardines behind a school of mullet. Mangrove snappers are around in good numbers and over the past week every fish has been between 12 and 14 inches, with small, live sardines taking them from sand holes on grass flats, along mangroves, as well as dock and bridge pilings. Trout have been hanging around the edges of grass flats in 6 feet of water, taking live sardines and Sea Shad soft-plastic tails on jig heads. The Spanish mackerel are around, though there are not a lot of them. When the winds are down, he’s working deeper, open-water areas of the bay below the Gandy Bridge with live sardines and spoons taking fish to about 26 inches.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813) 918-8356: Capt. Chuck reports that over the past week the redfish numbers improved, and fish have started to school up in numbers of about 50 fish. They’ve been on the flats and mangroves in the Fourth Street area, around Big Island and near the St. Pete-Clearwater Airport area. The majority of the fish landed have been oversized. Fresh cut ladyfish has been a top producer. He hasn’t been pursuing trout, but notes that they are in deeper water around the bay bridges. He’s even taken them in his cast net while collecting live sardines (released, as netting trout is not permitted). More snook are showing up around docks, bars and mangroves, with the majority being smaller males that have left the beaches to begin working deeper inside the bay ahead of winter. Live sardines will take them. Some Spanish mackerel are in the bay, though the numbers are tapering off. The fish found in deeper, open bay waters are running to 25 inches, taking live sardines. Tripletail have been showing up around markers, as are some cobias. The bay is loaded with small threadfin shad, with schools from the Skyway Bridge to the Gandy Bridge.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813) 839-5551: Zack says customers are enjoying some good action, as the bay cools and an abundance of small baitfish are combining to keep predator species happy and feeding. A lot of smaller snook are moving into creeks and canals, where they are taking live and artificial baits well. Redfish are starting to bunch up and feed around oyster bars and mangroves, with good catches made in 2 to 5 feet of water recently around Weedon and Picnic Islands, as well as at Rocky Creek above the Courtney Campbell Causeway. A few reported getting into schooling mackerel below the Gandy Bridge and some have hooked triple tail around bay markers and tripods, as well as from under floating grass mats. Live shrimp is the best bait. Mangrove snapper fishing has been solid, with live shrimp taking plenty of keepers from bridge and dock pilings all over the bay. A few sheepsheads are starting to show up in catches, but until the water cools more the bite isn’t going to be reliable.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727) 954-6365: Jacob reports that we are falling into a stronger fall pattern, with plenty of bait and cooler water sparking the action on a variety of species. Schools of reds have been on the flats in many places early in the mornings, with Flutter spoons a top fish-getter. Snook are pushing into the residential canals in bigger numbers with large or select live shrimp taking some of the bigger fish. Trout are starting to turn on, and while live shrimp has been the bait of choice, as we get deeper into fall, artificial baits will become more effective. Offshore, schools of bonito have been common, and Jacob thinks that bodes well for some blacken tuna showing up soon. The Bay reefs are seeing more mangrove snapper gathering, which he says means they are staging ahead of moving to offshore spots.