Great Fishing & Scalloping
Capt. Josh Fritz
July 5, 2016
Hernando Beach - Saltwater Fishing Report
Inshore fishing the red fish are holding on the outer points and islands with good structure rocks/oysters incoming tide has produced good action and first of the outgoing tide has been the same. Live bait is the ticket on my trips I like to use green backs and pin fish rigged with a 1/0 to 2/0 circle hook and 25 pound leader. Cast up current and let the bait drift with the tide and current into the strike zone, always look for mullet activity red will be close by.
Snook are holding in the same areas as reds and inside along the mangroves around points and swashes a good moving tide and live green backs is all you need to get a snook to chew.
Trout action is picking up in the deeper flats 10 to 12 feet on spotty bottom. A 1/4 ounce jig head rigged with a white or rootbeer little jon soft plastic has been doing great. Slow bounce the jig while you drift keeping it close to the grass the harder you pop the rod tip the more sea bass and lizard fish you will catch.
Cobia are holding on the shallow rocks along with some keeper gag grouper, set up current from the rock and chum with pieces of threadfins to get the reef fish active you can also put out a chum block. Rig up a stout rod with 50 pound leader 4 to 5 foot long and a 5/0 circle hook. For bait my go to is green backs they make great chum and the fish go nuts over them. Hook up a green back free lined or with a small egg sinker 1/4 to 1/2 ounce is plenty, cast close to the rock and hang on.
Scallop are very very good this year we have limited out on every trip so far in 2 hours or less. Go NW from bayport light 5 to 7 miles and jump over they are there and thick. Yesterday we did not move from the first spot and got a 10 gallon limit.
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