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Tampa Bay - South Shore
Capt. Fred Everson
February 21, 2006
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
After a week of very winter like weather, the wind finally died down and temperatures became more angler friendly. It was so cold in the beginning of the week that the shrimpers were unable to catch enough to justify a trip. Consequently, most of the local shops did not have any live bait until Friday.
Redfish are still cruising the flats at low tide north of the Simmons Park boat ramp, but they often prove to be a tough bite. So it was on Wednesday when I fished with Tom Rinehart of Apollo Beach and Tim Zeigler of Land O Lakes. We cast at fish in shallow water much of the afternoon, but had only three strikes and no hook ups. We threw jigs, spoons, and jerkbaits that were mostly ignored.
The following day Capt. Chet Jennings reported a good day on jack crevalles and bonnethead sharks at the power plant discharge in Apollo Beach. I fished it on Friday morning and found plenty of big bonnetheads cruising the shallows. We put out a couple of pieces of treated squid wing rigged on jig heads and hooked up twice in less than half an hour. Bonnetheads are bottom feeders, and do not require a wire leader – squid seems more effective than any other cut bait, but they also like live shrimp.
Several big schools of jacks cruised past and we hooked one on the cut squid, and another on a four-inch white shad tail rigged on a half-ounce jig head. The trick to drawing strikes from jacks is to rip the lure through the water at warp speed.
Capt. Todd Faucher cruised the length and breadth of Tampa Bay looking for bait this week and found only a single pod. I checked out some cormorants bunched up on the water near Bahia Beach, but they were feeding on glass minnows.
Visit Capt. Fred online at www.tampabayfishingguide.com or call Shell Point
Bait and Tackle at (813) 641- 3662.
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