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Tampa Bay - South Shore
Capt. Fred Everson
April 16, 2007
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Yet another cold front crossed the bay earlier this week and made fishing a tough proposition on Southshore Tampa Bay for a couple of days. I fished for a little while on Monday south of Apollo Beach and found the flats covered with jack crevalles. I hooked a single fish on a fly before the wind shifted onshore and the temperature dropped. It went from dead flat calm to 20 knots in a heartbeat, accompanied by a cold, pelting rain. The ride back to the dock was the most miserable of the year. The next day it rained and blew all day.
On Wednesday I fished south of the Little Manatee River and found plenty of snook and redfish on the flats between Mary’s Lake and Sand Key, but hooked and lost only a single redfish.
Thursday the weather was much better, but the fishing was slow. We worked the flats south of Apollo Beach and there was not much going on there. Capt. Chet Jennings fished the area just south of Cockroach Bay and said he had a great day on big redfish. Keli Emery also told me she had a big day on redfish in the Cockroach Bay passes the same day. They were both fishing live sardines, though Emery told me she caught most of her fish on shrimp.
Capt. Larry Malinoski reports hooking and landing big tarpon around the Skyway, and said the kingfish bite was on fire off the St. Pete beaches. He said Capt. Mark Thomas had a banner day there on Thursday.
Friday I hit the flats north of the Simmons Park boat ramp and hooked up with one of the biggest slot sized redfish I’ve ever put on the boat. One of my clients hooked and landed a 26-inch fish that weighed more than 9 pounds. The big red ate a chromed pompano jig with a chartreuse tail. I’ve been seeinga few pompano in the clear shallow water, but have yet to hook one. However, every other fish out there has hit the small jig with the short skirt; snook, redfish, big jacks, ladyfish, and even hardhead catfish.
For more information, call Capt. Fred Everson at 813 830 8890, or visit his website at tampabayfishingguide.com.
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