Guide bites
Capt. Josh Fritz (352) 345-9304: Capt. Josh reports that the redfish bite is as strong as ever, with more and more fish schooling on the outside hard-bottom points, bars and around mangroves. Fish have been slot-sized to oversized, with cut bait or live sardines taking them. The snook and trout bite is good, as well, making catching an inshore slam of all three species a very good possibility right now. The snook are spread out, with some on the outside points and Gulf mangroves, to creek mouths and a couple hundred feet inside the creeks when the water is high. Live sardines is the best bait option for them. Trout action is only getting better as we move deeper into fall.
Fish are in relatively shallow water over hard bottom with patches of bottom growth in sandy spots. Most of those landed have been between 15 and 18 inches, with the odd larger fish. The big ones are yet to show up in large numbers, but they will be here before much longer. Anglers can have a lot of fun with schooling jacks right now, as the schools are working all along the coast. Offshore, the best play is to take a load of live shrimp and work rocky bottom and breaks in 30 to 35 feet of water for mangrove snapper and hogfish. If hogfish are the goal, Capt. Josh said one of his friends fished 56 feet of water and “slammed them,” along with taking red grouper.
Capt. Matt Cowden (727-534-6603): Capt. Matt says weather has been a spoiler over the past week, but whenever there is a window of better conditions, the redfish bite has been great. He notes that we are in that transitional period where cooling water and fall conditions spark the redfish action and the fish are more apt to chase live baits, which also means they will be more responsive to artificial baits. About anywhere there are oyster bars, mangroves and rocky flats all along the Pasco coastline are likely places to find reds. At this time of year, they also start bunching up in schools, so find one and it’s a good bet there are many.
Capt. Cody Albright (727) 992-3918: Capt. Cody says he’s been working inside the Cotee and Anclote rivers, taking trout, reds and snook in pretty good numbers. He’s been working inside up to a half mile in both rivers, finding reds and snook along mangroves and bars, though the biggest numbers landed have been trout, which have been running between 17 and 20 inches. Live sardines have been his best bait for all three species. There also are good numbers of small tarpon in the rivers, and fish 10 to 20 pounds have been common. The redfish also are along the Gulf mangroves all along the coast, with fish around cuts through the growth on the higher tides. The grass flats in 4 to 7 feet of water continues to produce some good numbers of mackerel, including some to about 4 pounds. The flats in the same depth range also are seeing good numbers of cobia, including some keeper-sized fish. His tactic for both species has been to put out a chum block to attract them to the boat, and it’s been working well. Mangrove snapper fishing is a good bet right now for anyone working the canals at Gulf Harbors with live shrimp. The rock spoils along the north and south channel there also are holding the snapper.
Tackle shop roundup
The Rusty Bucket (727) 645-6598: Capt. Bill says the bite has never been better when it comes to the volume of fish caught, and while the recent front was a bit of a monkey wrench in the works, we should get right back on track. There have been lots of snook staking up in backwaters along the Pasco coast and creeks on the higher tides. Most landed have been smaller males in the 20-inch range, with a surprise big fish sometimes snapping up a live bait. It’s been the same story for the redfish, which also are on the outside mangrove lines and on the shallow flats. Live sardines have been the best bait, though a 3-inch soft-plastic paddle tail on a jig or a jerk bait also takes them. The biggest reds have been pushing water in very shallow water of some flats. They are easy to see moving in such skinny water on the lower tides. Sheepshead and black drum are starting to show up in bigger numbers, which is normal for fall. Their numbers will only get better as the water cools. Big trout also are showing up, with fish in canals and backwaters. Shrimp is good for the trout and fiddler crabs are what the sheepshead and drum like. Some of the big winter trout can be found already, with fish moving in around islands and in channels, a good sign on things to come.
Tarpon Trading Company (727-937-1488): Larry reports that several customers are reporting taking fair numbers of trout fishing the grass flats along the Fred Howard Park causeway, as well as off the beach there. A lot of the fish have been on the small side, but the action has been good and there are bigger fish for those who keep at it. Live shrimp and jigs with soft-plastic tails are the baits of choice. The bridges on the causeway have produced a few redfish and there are snook there, as well, though the latter have had a case of lockjaw of late. A better bet for reds is the shallows around mangroves at Dutchman Key on the backside of Anclote Key. Anglers may want to work their way into the Anclote River for reds and snook, as both are beginning to gravitate more to the river as we settle into a fall pattern. The U.S. 19 bridge over the river also begin to see more redfish and possibly snook. Until then, anglers have been scoring some nice mangrove snapper under the span using live shrimp.
Armed Anglers (727) 945-1808: Michael says many customers have been taking some good numbers of Spanish mackerel on the deeper grass flats long the coast off the Anclote River, as well as south along St. Joseph Sound and the pass at the north end of Anclote Key, as well as just west of the island’s beach. Gil from the shop reports that anglers have good shots are reds and snook right now, as both are active and feeding in the Anclote area. Spoils, bars and flooded mangroves are where to find them.