August Fishing Report Tampa/Clearwater
Capt. Jared Simonetti
August 18, 2016
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing charters in the Clearwater, Tampa, St.Pete area are hot during the month of August for both the people… and the Fishing!!! For anglers that are willing to fish during the dog days of summer the rewards can be worth it. Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, Huge Black drum, Snapper and permit are schooled up and have been providing awesome action, Scallop season is still open, and Night fishing is also an option!
Kids are getting ready to go back to school, but for those that don't have those obligations and are wanting to get out now is a great time. We have almost exclusively been fishing the morning to avoid the afternoon storms, but this week has been opposite with storms forcing cancellations most of this week, but the rest of the month be should be back on track fishing every day!
Snook have spawned for the most part and are slowly leaving the beaches and passes making there way back into the bays and estuary, not all the fish will leave beaches but the vast majority are in the process of leaving. Snook fishing will be good as these fish will be hungry since they have spawned. Live sardines will be key to fishing the snook in the coming weeks, and having a steady supply will be worth the effort.
Red fishing is turning on better and better each day as the schools of fish come into the bay gathering up for the spawning season. Schools of over slot Redfish can be found this time of year for anglers willing to invest the time, Sometimes it takes awhile to locate the fish as they move up and down the flats but once located and fished with live and cut bait the rewards can be worth the effort. Slot size Redfish have also been around in fair numbers in the areas im fishing.
Monster black drum are covering the bay bridges and for the anglers looking to tangle with these giant fish there have been a ton of them around. Fresh blue crabs fished around the bridges have been producing they brutes, and jigs will also work. These fish range in size from 10lbs up to 60lbs, and once a school is located they are willing to bite.
Snapper fishing has been outstanding. Limits of these snapper have been coming quickly, and they are great table fair. The limit of snapper is 5 fish per person, and they average about 13" in size. Typically we fish around structure, which can be anything from artificial reefs to bridges. Live sardines free-lined or on the bottom work well.
Tarpon fishing has still been hot and the fish of all size are around. Now that the spawn is over the breeder size Tarpon are feeding heavily in preparation for winter, and if you can find them it can be outstanding action. Smaller tarpon are also around in the 1-20lb range and are a blast to catch with light tackle and fly. Tarpon fishing will remain good for the next few months.
Permit have been around for anglers looking to catch there "Bucket list fish". Permit are schooled up and for anglers looking to target them nothing beats a live crab for these fish. Permit have been in 10-25lb range and will hang around for the next couple of months.
Scallop season is still open and this year has been awesome with nice limits of scallops being caught on most trips. We have been finding scallops in the 2′-6′ range NW of the Homosassa River. The limit on scallops is 2gals per diver, and 10gals per boat. Scallop season runs until September 24th.
Tight lines,
Capt. Jared
727-831-0111
www.CaptJared.com
[email protected]
Target Species:
Snook, Snapper, Trout, Tarpon, Redfish
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