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Tampa Bay - South Shore
Capt. Fred Everson
October 8, 2002
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
October 07 Southshore Fishing Report
Action on the Southshore of Tampa Bay continues to be hot as the weather. Anglers can take their pick of redfish, snook, trout, Spanish mackerel and snapper. Last Friday almost every boat that put in at the shop came back with fish.
On my runs to the Skyway the birds were working the surface on schools of mackerel from Bahia Beach all the way to the Bridge. Bait under the fishing pier is still plentiful and large sized, but pulling the pilchards away from the threadfins complicates things, as does wind wave and current. Then there’s the junk on the bottom that will try to steal your anchor. Mine got hung twice under the south pier this weekend, but I was able to jiggle it free
Fortunately there is plenty of smaller sized baits all along the Southshore of Tampa Bay, and if you only need enough to fish with, it’s an easier proposition than fighting wind, waves and current under the pier.
Fishing in the Little Manatee River continues to be very good. Capt. Chet Jennings and Capt. Billy Nobles both reported several breakoffs by big snook. Chet said he landed a 37 inch snook at the mouth of the river on Sunday.
Perfect weather this past weekend made for crowded fishing conditions all over the bay. When that happens, the reports of angler discourtesy soar. Weekend fishing is sure enough tough, but courtesy and common sense should govern behaviour. Don’t crowd another boat, whether he’s on fish or not. Your spot is yours only if you get there first.
Look for the snook bite to get nothing but better in the next few weeks. The big dogs will soon be moving into seasonal transition and that means putting the feed bag on. These fish should start to stack up on the edges of the grass on the flats at low tide, and in the river mouth and the mangrove passes at high tide. If you want to target the big fish, try big baits. Sunrise and sunset are the prime times, and large chunk baits will catch big fish that will mostly ignore small live baits. Small ladyfish, large croakers, and grunts will catch oversized snook.
If artificial baits are your thing, throw Top Dogs, Top Dog Jrs, 7MRs and RipTide Jerkbaits. White, Red and White, and Chartruese are the colors of choice. Gold and silver spoons, and an assortment of lead headed jigs with light and dark colored tails afford a well rounded selection of artificial baits that will cover the water column, and condition. Fish the light and bright colors in clear water, and darker colors in murky water.
Shrimp supply has been good, but with few selects and jumbos in the batch. Water temperature is still up in the low 80’s.
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