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Tampa Bay - South Shore
Capt. Fred Everson
July 29, 2002
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
July 29 Southshore Tampa Bay Fishing Report
Spanish mackerel continue to provide a good bite on Tampa Bay. This is the best run of big macks in recent years, and they are seemingly everywhere. The surest way to hook up is to look for schools of threadfin herring crashing the surface. I like to find schools of bait congregating around range markers, then anchor down current and chum them up to the boat with half inch chunks of threadies.
This is a most productive method for catching mackerel but it requires lots of bait. A 10 or 12 foot cast net with mesh larger than 3/8 inch is required for wary threadfins in deep water, but you can also find them on the outside edges of the Southshore flats. A gallon pail full of cut baits is a fair quantity for a days fishing. Best to have the baits all cut up so you can feed them into the water at a constant rate. Be patient -- sometimes it takes 15 or 20 minutes to get the fish in the slick. Once they arrive, keep them close by drifting pieces of chum in six foot intervals.
The bonus fish here might be mangrove snapper, which will also come into the slick to feast. Add some weight to the line and use a smaller hook to target snapper. Cobia, and sharks may also find the slick, so I like to have a stout rod rigged and ready if the big fish show up.
The early morning tarpon bite has also been good, according to Capt. Chet Jennings, who fishes out of Bahia Beach Marina. He says to look for schools of threadfins on the outside edges of the flats, and the tarpon are usually close by.
The tides will favor wade fishermen after snook, trout, and redfish this coming weekend. I find the last hour of the outgoing and the first hour of the incoming tide to be most productive, particularly when this tide coincides with sunset or moonrise.
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