Big Snook and Redfish in Tampa Bay
Capt. John Rivers
April 23, 2017
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Big Snook and Redfish in Tampa Bay
Over the past 10 days the inshore bite has been outstanding in Tampa Bay.
Let's talk Big Snook for a minute. I've been on an excellent snook bite over the past 10 days, which means lots of smiles on my clients' faces. I encourage my clients to let these big girls go even when they're in season, as fish management is key to a vital fishery. If the fish is legal and looks like it won't make it, then in the well it goes or if they want to keep one for dinner, of course I will be glad to oblige. Last week we had three big snook hooked up on one trip, we only kept one for dinner and let the other two go. This way they got to have some great eating fish and we also did our part to preserve our fishery for their next visit. This snook bit should last a good while, so if you're heading down my way here in Tampa, Clearwater or St. Petersburg, give me a shout and I'd love to see you hook up one of these 30+" bruisers.
Now on to redfish; most of the fish we're hooking are over-slot fish, which is fun, fun, fun. They pull drag and put up a great fight. It's also nice that we are catching them very close to where we're catching the snook, so it's not a long gap between fishing spots.
Trout are another by catch when targeting the snook. When we get on a good trout bite, we can bring a few tasty ones home for the dinner table. Speaking of tasty, the mangrove snapper bite has also been very good in some of my mangrove honey holes, so if you're wanting more dinner options, we can stop in there and hook a few.
At Capt. John Rivers Inshore Charters, I not only enjoy fishing, I enjoy watching my clients catch fish too. When someone is having a fun time catching his or her very first snook or saltwater fish, I get just as excited as they do. Every time.
If you're a fellow bass-fisherman like I was or if you still bass fish, and don't want to toss live bait, we can toss artificials all day. Redfish, Snook and trout love top-water plugs and can't resist a jerk bait if it comes across their noses. I may bring live bait for the more finicky fish, but it's not always about how many you catch, sometimes the challenge is more satisfying.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope to hear from you and let me take you out on a fun fishing adventure.
Tight Lines… Capt. John
727-313-1781
www.tampabayinshoreguides.com
More Fishing Reports:
