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Tampa Bay - Saltwater
Capt. Matt Ercoli
December 19, 2001
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Well, I can honestly say that after 200 plus days on the water I?m ready for some cool weather, although I know all of the snowbirds out there are loving it. Eighty-five degrees and approaching Christmas, come on now that?s just plain ridiculous. The good news for me is the call for mid 70s later in the week, that will be a nice change. With water temps in the mid 70s things haven?t changed much, we are still fishing the same patterns we were in mid fall. Snook fishing has been our main producer with lots of fish in the 22 to 25 inch class. We are still catching plenty of keeper fish on some days, no real monsters but a few fish as large as 32 or 33 inches. There are still a lot of snook on the flats in places they should have long ago abandoned, still the shallow clear flats take up the majority of our days. The snook certainty have no idea it is Christmas time and looking at the extended weather forecast I can?t see the pattern changing much at this point.
As for redfishing, it has been hit or miss. I have been catching a few each day but the really big schools we were seeing back in the fall have been few and far between, that?s just how redfish can be.
Although trout fishing is out of season we have been catching some darn nice ones, many in the 18 to 22 inch class on average.
For other flats predators, we have been killing big jacks while snook fishing. Most of them have been averaging in the 10 to 12 pound class. That?s a nice battle for someone interested in catching fighters on a fly rod. Also for fly fishermen interested in an easy target we have been catching all the ladyfish you want in the two-foot class, providing nice battles on a 7 or 8-weight fly rod. Because of their close proximity to the boat you can easily get the job done on a 6 weight.
Well it looks like this may be shaping up to be the best Christmas down here for fishing that I can ever remember. The weather is gorgeous and the fishing is equally as good.
I hope you have a merry Christmas and that Santa brings that new fishing rod you always wanted. See you on the water ...Capt. Matt.
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