INSHORE
For most anglers fishing early in the week, it’s been slow during the day. Early hours have been steady with speckled trout, flounder, and some redfish. Pompano have been running around Old Tampa Bay according to Capt. Neil Taylor of Strike Three Kayak Fishing. Taylor has been catching pompano on jigs on a fairly regular basis. Fish the edges of sand bars, small passes, and around bridges for some good action. The bridges around Fort Desoto have been productive.
While running lower Tampa Bay this week on some hard bottom areas, I concentrated on my bottom machine, watching for small outcroppings of hard patches of lime rock bottom. Numerous areas held clouds of small bait fish. Some were pinfish, others were jacks, but on several patches were schools of tiny pompano this hit out jigs. These fish were only about 4-inches long but it was really good to see these small fish.
The Key Royale flats off Anna Maria Island were holding speckled and silver trout this week. We caught them on CAL jig with shad and curly tails, DOA Shrimp, and MirrOlure Lil‘ John soft plastic jerk baits.
Night fishing for snook around the dock lights was productive for anglers in the Sarasota and Treasure Island areas. Most areas close to passes were holding fish that were ready to spawn. While these are great fish for catch and release, during full and new moons they are most vulnerable and this kind of activity might best be saved when it won’t interrupt the spawning rituals.
Flounder are still being caught, but many landed lately have been small. The occasional nice “flattie’ is caught by anglers fishing either live shrimp or jigs. Look for the bulk of these fish around sandy edges of passes or on channel edges where there is good water movement.
FRESHWATER
The panfish bite has been on around this full moon week. Good catches of bluegill, stump knockers, red ears, and an assortment of other pinfish were reported on the Braden River in Bradenton, Lake Manatee, Lake Tarpon, and on the Walsingham Reservoir. My guess is that most retention ponds and small neighborhood lakes were producing equally well. Live worms, wigglers, earthworms, crickets, and grass shrimp were catching these tasty fish. Bass also had their moments during low light hours for anglers tossing poppers and streamers on fly rods around the banks of lakes. Spinnerbaits were working well around hydrilla beds. Buzz baits early got the nod from some bass to 5-pounds on Lake Tarpon. Hit them early for the best bite. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!
PR
