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Tampa Bay - South Shore
Capt. Fred Everson
December 1, 2004
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Southshore Tampa Bay Fishing Report for December 01
Fishing behind cold fronts often proves fruitless, and my last two trips bear that out. Both were bright and beautiful with clear blue skies. For me that’s usually a recipe for a nice day on the water with no fish, and I nearly pulled it off twice. The first trip we never managed a nibble. The second trip we caught a snook on the first cast and didn’t hook anything else for the next five hours. The drought was ended ignominiously by a hard head catfish.
After a couple of nearly fishless days, the bite finally started to pick up a bit. Saturday I poled the flats north of the Little Manatee River looking for redfish and cobia with my fishing buddy Keli. We didn’t find any cobia and very few redfish. We did see a few snook and I even put a hook in one. It was a keeper-sized fish laid up in a pothole about 40 yards from the boat. A long cast with a 7MR Mirrolure immediately got the snook’s attention. It took a run at the plug, and actually picked it up, but I never felt the hit because the fish kept coming at the boat. Only when the line started going sideways did I realize the fish had the plug in his mouth. Must be the slack line took a wrap around his head, because soon as the line came tight, it parted like someone slashed it with a razor. We had several other shots at snook and even a couple of redfish, but no more takers.
Yesterday, I took a fly fisherman wading on the Southshore flats. He didn’t have his waders, so I was pretty much obliged not to wear mine. It amazes me that 10 years ago I wade fished in shorts year ‘round. Now when the water temperature drops below 70 degrees my teeth start to chatter. Fortunately, a clear sky and warmer than usual air temperature made it sufferable, but that will be my last trip without waders.
We didn’t catch anything on the fly, but when the tide started coming in and the wind picked up we switched to my 8 ½ foot extra light spinning rods rigged with eight pound monofilament, 20 pound fluorocarbon leaders, and RipTide Flats Chubs on Capt. Mike’s 3/16 ounce keeper hooks. I was hoping to see redfish tails, but that never happened. We did catch a 24-inch red and a 27-inch snook with long casts to boils. I’ve had great luck with this hook on light line, but I would not recommend it on heavier line and stiff rods.
The Second Annual Jack Attack will take place on December 08. We expect to a full complement of 25 anglers armed with Zebco 404’s. Call the shop for more information at (813) 641 3662, or check out my website at tampabayfishingguide.com. Hopefully the river will be full of hungry, tackle busting jack crevalles.
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