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Tampa Bay - South Shore
Capt. Fred Everson
August 8, 2005
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
The tough summer fishing patter on the Southshore of Tampa Bay is still in effect and will probably continue for weeks to come. Just now, mangrove snapper are providing the best action on the artificial reefs, and all those little secret spots over wrecks and hard bottom. Capt. Jon Turner had a good day on snapper with his clients, crediting his success to using fluorocarbon leaders. Snapper are notoriously leader shy, and the fluorocarbon is less visible than monofilament.
I like a number one circle hook with just enough weight to get a small or medium shrimp to the bottom. Small pinfish are also effective snapper baits. This is also a good application for microfilament lines because of their low stretch and sensitivity. A snapper strike is nothing more than a quick series of taps, and it’s important to get the line tight as soon as you feel the hit. With circle hooks the method is to reel the line tight. This will put the hook in the corner of the snapper’s mouth.
The redfish run has already begun, but the effects of the recent red tide remain to be seen. I heard reports of lots of dead redfish in the Gulf, but other reports said the fish were black drum. Any way you look at it, it’s not a good thing.
Large pilchards finally made their departure from the range markers. The guides at Shell Point are reporting small baits on the grass flats south of the Little Manatee River. Capt. Chet Jennings said he found small pilchards in the grass, and that they were gilling his 3/8 inch net. This time of year, most live baiters break out the smaller quarter inch nets to avoid the troublesome gillies.
We are seeing quite a few big snook behind the bait shop, and that’s a good sign. Snook should begin moving back into their regular quarters after spawning, and they should be hungry. The best bite will be on fast moving tides after dark, or around sunrise and sunset. Mid day fishing in August is usually less than productive for snook.
Ed Childers caught a big sheepshead behind the baitshop on Sunday morning, and it promptly became Sunday afternoon lunch. Few fish in Tampa Bay eat better than sheepshead, but they can be a pain in the butt to clean. Needle pointed spines and a knive resistant rib cage make filleting this fish a tricky operation. I like to put whole sheepshead on ice as soon as they’re landed. After the fish is thoroughly chilled, a very sharp filet knife makes the job less of a chore. The resulting filets are great any way you cook them – flaky white flesh with wonderful flavor.
The best tides to fish this week will be the falling tides late in the afternoon. Look for snook and redfish to congregate around the big mangrove passes. Weedless lures will be a best bet because of the huge amount of loose grass and algae on the surface.
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