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Tampa Bay - South Shore
Capt. Fred Everson
December 23, 2006
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Mid December has been cold and windy, but those who brave the conditions have been rewarded with fish. Capt. Larry Malinoski returned from his Pennsylvania hunting trip empty handed, but caught some big grouper trolling in the bay. He said the bite was quick and he caught some 15-pound grouper in just a couple of hours. He was trolling jigs behind planers.
Captain Chet Jennings told me the wind had kept him in the Little Manatee River last week. He said he found some local bait and caught quite a few big trout and some jack crevalles.
He said the snook bite was fair, but that he was catching mostly shorts. Snook season is now closed until February 01, so it is catch and release until then. Some anglers continue to fish for them in the upper reaches of the Little Manatee River, but they are not the same fish when the water temperature drops below 65 degrees. I prefer to leave them alone this time of year.
I spent most of time wading on the extreme low tides we’ve had all month. Redfish have been the primary target, and they have been cooperative. I’m catching tailers on new penny soft plastic jerk baits, and wading has been more productive than fishing from the boat. Even a 3/16-ounce keeper hook will blow the fish out of a hole if you throw it to close to it, so casting is everything in shallow water. You want a rod that will make long, accurate casts with baits that do not cast inherently well. For example, if you are going to throw live shrimp at redfish in the cold, clear shallow water of December, you want mediums. Large or jumbo shrimp make too big a splash to be productive.
I continue to see flounder in my wade fishing travels, but have yet to hook one. I’ve lost three fish that had the tail of the lure in the mouth and held onto it all the way back to the rod tip, but spit it back at me as I went to land them. One day this week I’m going to cast net some chubs and go after them with circle hooks. The limit on flounder is 12 inches and 10 fish per person, per day, and it’s okay to gig them.
There are some cobia around the power plant in Apollo Beach, but these fish have become hip to anglers. Every fish I’ve thrown at up there has responded to the lure like it was a lit stick of dynamite. So much for being dumb and easy to catch.
My last trip to the flats south of the Simmons Park boat ramp I have not been able to find any redfish, but the flat is covered with bonnethead sharks. The last time I was there I saw dozens of fish in the four-foot class. These sharks will not hit an artificial, but they will take a live shrimp or a piece of squid fished on the bottom. I like to fish live shrimp on a jig head. If I can get their attention with a cast and then stop the retrieve, they will usually circle the bait a couple of times and then eat it.
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