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Tampa Bay - South Shore
Capt. Fred Everson
December 25, 2002
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Southshore Tampa Bay Fishing Report
Cold fronts still rule the scene on Tampa Bay. There seem to be plenty of fish around, but the bite has been slow.
Water temperature is currently in the low 60’s, and even the redfish haven’t shown any inclination to eat, despite reports of large schools of reds on the flats north and south of Shell Point.
The positive side of report is that the shrimp supply has been good lately, with plenty of large shrimp available.
The extreme low tides of winter continue to take their toll on local boaters. I see boats hard aground almost daily and there is really no excuse for this. If you don’t know the water, slow down. Look at a chart before you leave the dock, and if in doubt ask. Everyone should realize that the tides this time of year are much lower than they are in summer. The mouth of the Little Manatee River is marked well enough, and they don’t call this Shell Point for nothing.
Nobody caught much this weekend. Capt. Chet Jennings reported a good duck shoot on Saturday, and he found plenty of redfish after the hunt, but they wouldn’t bite. I had a similar report from the flats south of Apollo Beach.
Reports of big Spanish mackerel in the bay continue to trickle in, but I haven’t heard anything about cobia or grouper for a couple of weeks.
There’s still some bait under the Skyway, but the sizes were mixed last time I went. Salinity level in the river right now makes trying to keep it alive at the shop an exercise in frustration.
And that’s the report from Shell Point Bait and Tackle this week. Merry Christmas all.
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