Guide bites
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813) 918-8356: Capt. Chuck reports that he moved more into backwaters and canals after the cool snap that started last week. Snook and reds have moved into these areas and are taking live sardines, though cut bait or live sardines with their tails snipped off have been effective on the reds. He’s been seeing fair numbers of snook but they have been reluctant to attack baits thrown their way. Trout fishing on the grass flats has been hit-or-miss, and multiple boats fishing in recent bay tournaments reported that trout were the toughest species to find. Some close sources, however, have been scoring nice catches of good-sized fish around spoils near the mouths of the Hillsborough and Little Manatee rivers. A few flounder are on sandy bottom close to shorelines and Capt. Chuck has seen them scooting away as he hunts for reds on higher tides. Sheepshead are starting to make their annual move into the bay for winter, and while that action hasn’t really kicked off just yet, some catches are being made on the St. Pete and Apollo Beach artificial reefs. Live shrimp and fiddler crabs are the top baits. Jigging near the Gandy Bridge area for ladyfish for cut bait, Capt. Chuck landed a 14-inch pompano. He hasn’t been targeting them, but anglers may want to work jigs along the bottom in sandy-shell bottom areas and sand bars for them.
Capt. George Hastick (727) 525-1005: Capt. George he’s been doing well working flooded mangroves along the Pinellas side of the bay from St. Pete up to the Weedon Island area. Fish are scattered and he’s picking up three or four along a stretch of mangroves, before moving to find more. The fish are right against the mangroves when the water is high, moving out up to 40 feet on the open flats when the water is falling. They also are running behind schools of mullet, so putting out a cut bait or live sardine behind the moving mullet is a good idea. Fish have been running from undersized to 30 inches. Snook have been around the mangroves on high water, as well, taking live sardines, though only when the current is flowing well. Mangrove snapper fishing has been decent, with fish on structure like rocks, dock and bridge pilings. He’s been boating fish between 12 and 16 inches using small, live sardines. Spanish mackerel schools have been feeding on schools of threadfin shad in deeper, open-water sections of the bay off the St. Pete area. Keep an eye out for fish skyrocketing out of the water as they attack bait upward from below.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813) 839-5551: Bill says the cool nights that arrived last week brought bay water temperatures down a good deal, causing a change in the bite. Redfish were the least impacted, as they are less sensitive, but the snook got a case of lockjaw and began alternating between moving into deeper, warmer backwaters and popping out into the shallows of the bay once the sun warmed things up a bit. The last couple of hours of the incoming tides, along with the first two hours of the outgoing have been the times the snook are feeding best. Trout fishing has remained pretty stable, with fish on shallow grass flats, particularly grass in the vicinity of oyster bars, where trout like to move over when the tide is up. Wind caused anglers some grief, and Bill says if windy days are the rule, try to get in behind land with trees that can block the breeze. Places like behind Picnic and Weedon islands can provide that protection. While there hasn’t been an explosion of sheepshead, cooling water is seeing more fish around. Areas they are being spotted are around rocks, shell bottom and oyster bars in shallow water. As the bay cools, look for it to keep getting better. Live shrimp or fiddler crabs are the best baits. There have been some catches of Spanish mackerel over the past week, but Bill isn’t sure how long that bite will hold up now that water temperatures have fallen.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727) 954-6365: Jacob reports that cooler water has meant hotter snook action in backwaters, particularly residential canals. Live sardines and pinfish have been the best baits. Reds are scattered and some landed have been large. Live shrimp, cut pinfish or sardines fished around flooded mangroves is the ticket. Catches have been made from the Courtney Campbell Causeway all the way out to Fort De Soto. Trout fishing seems to be picking up, with fish on the grass beds and taking plugs and jigs better. Fishing when the winds are down is preferred. Mangrove snapper fishing is slowing, and the sheepshead bite is picking up some around all types of structure. Spanish mackerel catches were reported in many parts of the bay over the past week and many are awaiting a push of kingfish in the Gulf. Lots of schooling jacks have been working around Weedon Island for anyone looking for a good fight.