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Tampa Bay - South Shore
Capt. Fred Everson
June 13, 2004
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Southshore Tampa Bay
Spanish Mackerel continue to provide the most action on the Southshore of Tampa Bay, but anglers are not the only predators chasing them around the bay. We are getting lots of shark reports and many of the fish hooked have been very big. Capt. Chet Jennings said he had a five foot bull shark cut a snook in half just as he was about to land it. Other captains are also reporting encounters with muck bigger sharks. Most common are the blacktips and bonnetheads, which are generally less than three feet long. But recently some big blacktips have come into the bay. I hooked a couple in the four to five foot range while mackerel fishing, but didn’t land either fish because I was fishing with monofilament leaders. You need wire if you want to put a blacktip in the boat – even hundred pound mono won’t stand up to fish with a mouth full of razor blades. I have eaten blacktip before, and it’s quite good if well bled, gutted, and iced immediately.
Less common are the bull sharks, but they have hardly been rare on Tampa Bay this year. I saw five on the flats south of Apollo Beach one day, ranging between four feet and eight feet. I have also had reports from a captain who hooked what he thought was a huge tiger shark.
If targeting sharks is on the agenda this summer, better tackle up. 50 pound or 80 pound conventional rigs are should be the order of the day.
Capt. Nick Winger said the redfish bite has been steady, and that many of the fish have been oversized. He also told me he was having much better luck with cut bait, than he was with live pilchards.
There is still plenty of bait on the flats, but it tends to be concentrated. The last couple of times I went out to catch bait for the shop, I found plenty of pilchards on the flats and they were perfect size, but mixed with pinfish. Many of the pinfish were quite small, but there were lots of good sized baits in the mix, too.
The tides have been slow without a lot of water movement, but that will begin to change Sunday with the approach of the new moon, which occurs on Thursday. Tuesday evening will be the best tide to Wadefish with a minus tide occurring 15 minutes after Sunset. I have had great success on these extreme low tides throwing RipTide Jerk baits in Pearl glow, but Capt. Mike’s White spoons, and DOA Cal Jigs have also been devastating.
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