Fay Missed Us
Capt. Fred Everson
August 25, 2008
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
With small craft warnings up since last Tuesday, there has not been much action on Tampa Bay this week. We really dodged a bullet with Fay, the Tropical Storm that wouldn't go away.
The last two guys I saw fishing were in a canoe at the mouth of the Little Manatee River after dark on Monday night. The bite was on, as I could hear the fish thrashing around their canoe. Ahead of a major storm, fish will usually chew the bottom out of the boat. The sudden drop in pressure is a signal that water conditions are going to get screwed up, and it might be difficult to find a meal for a few days. That proved to be the case this week, even though the storm went to the other coast we got 20 knot winds every day. That's apt to send fish into a holding pattern in deeper water to wait things out.
Once the wind dies down I'm going to look for redfish on the Southshore of Tampa Bay. The fall run has apparently showed up already on the West side of the bay. Big schools of redfish, with many of them oversized, are found throughout Tampa Bay from late August through October. These fish are here to feast on the bountiful schools of baitfish that blanket the bay this time of year. Tarpon are another late August target around the Sunshine Skyway as these fish begin their southerly migration.
September 01 snook are back on the menu with the reopening of the season that closed May 01. Current limit on the West Coast in one fish between 28 and 33 inches.
September 09 is Ladies Night at Skipper's Smokehouse Inshore Fishing School hosted by Capt. Fred Everson. Class starts at 7:00 pm and cost is $25 -- husbands and significant others get it free, with a copy of the Captain's latest book included with the registration fee. Visit the captain's website at Tampabayfishingguide.com
for further information.
Tampa Bay Fishing Forecast:
Good wading tides the next few evenings. I like extreme low tides that coincide with sunset for redfish and snook. August 25, 26 and 27 all offer a good chance to get off the boat in very shallow water.
Target Species:
Snook, redfish, trout, Spanish mackerel, snapper, cobia, shark
More Fishing Reports:
