Tampa Bay Fishing Report

Capt. TJ Stewart
July 20, 2005
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report

Not only sight seeing!

Well here we are after the big storm and we thought that it was going to get rid of the Red tide well it did in the areas where we have been fishing the last couple of weeks but it sounds like the Red tide is hitting hard to the South and the North of us, bad for them but good for us. It is about time that the Red tide is gone..

Well let’s start with the Red fish. With the Red tide starting to give a little we are starting to catch some Red fish. Some days we have to work for it and others they try to eat the corks off the line. The locations that we have been catching these fish have depended on the tides. If we have had a high tide we have been fishing up in and around the mangroves or around the oyster bars. On the lower tide the fish move off the flats and we are fishing on the drop off where they usually congregate. Most of the Red fish that we have been catching have been between 20-26 inches. The Red fish of the week was a 27 inch fish.

Then we have the Snook. These fish have been hanging in a little better then the Red fish. Just about every day we have fished for Snook we have managed to get these fish into a frenzy. We have been fishing around the shore line and on the lower edges of the flats. It’s good to have a lot of bait so once you find the fish you can chum them up and get them to bite. Most of the Snook that we have been catching have been 22-26 inches which on the light tackle are a lot of fun. Then we have the Snook of the week it was caught the same day that we lost one of the biggest Snook of the season. This fish that got away was probably a fish that was pushing 40 inches. We got this great fish up next to the boat but it managed to shake the hook We did catch a fish that was 32 inches so it ends up being the Snook of the week.

Tarpon, well where do I start with these great fish. I can say it has been one of the strangest years that I have ever seen. We have still been catching fish but it has been different. Let’s start with the fish that are off of the beaches most of the fish have been 3-5 miles off of the beach. This is like finding a needle in a hay stack. If we don’t find any here we have still been seeing a few fish up in Tampa bay around the Skyway. We have a little spot up in the bay where we have caught some big Tarpon and also have had a lot of fun with some smaller ones.. We have been catching fish that have been 10-40 lbs which on the light tackle has been almost too much fun. The guys the other day where kidding that it was almost like a Tarpon sight seeing tour because there were so many big Tarpon rolling. It’s been fun! If you would like to see pictures come see www.castawaychartersinc.com.

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