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Little Manatee , Alafia River, and the Big Manatee River
Capt. Thom Rodgers
January 14, 2012
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
It's full blown winter pattern now. Tough fishing immediately after fronts for sure. Went out for 5 hours Friday and found Gin clear waters in a real low tide. Saw some BIG sheepies around scattered oysters in two feet of water. Also saw a handful of decent 26 to 30 inch reds in the same areas. Throwing jigs was useless as there was no interest at all.
Looking ahead... pray for some warmups. The lower reaches of our rivers seem to turn on as soon as the water crosses the 60 degree mark in the bay.
Saw 3 or four good sized snook (8 to 15 lbs) around some edges off the river. That is to say not in the main river run. Lock jaw.
Having lived in the area near 23 years I can certainly say it needs to warm up a bit to start a really good bite on these guys.
Trout in the deeper holes around the bridges at the mouths of our local rivers can be outstanding right now. In fact, the colder the better for my money. Dark nights with no moon and a 1/4 jig in your favorite color can and does produce some really nice fish around these bridges. You might have to fish a few nights to find the tide they really like but they will hit pretty good on any tide. I like the last of a really good outgoing as it slows down. Fish deep, on edges,and real slow. At night, there are no other boats to contend with...even on weekends. If it's warm after a cold snap...these big trout nights around the area bridges can be a blast. If you start hitting little ones, move around until you find the bigger ones. Don't be surprised if you catch some really nice fish. I've caught a bunch of 5 lb. fish in pitch black or low lit conditions. Good Luck and fish hard...It's cold.
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