Slow Fishing Behind Cold Fronts
Capt. Fred Everson
November 18, 2008
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fair weather made for some great fishing this past week, but the catching wasn't all that hot. I tried redfish and snook on the flats between Apollo Beach and Big Pass, and we caught a few fish, but worked for each and every one. Mike Strickland caught a short redfish and a keeper on live sardines, along with a couple of trout. I caught a short redfish on a dark colored jerkbait as we drifted across the flats between Sand Key and Big Pass.
Capt. Chet Jennings told me he was catching a few snook, but the bite was pretty slow. Capt. Danny Guarino said he went offshore one day last week and caught a cooler full on a hot bite.
On Monday I did a short trip to the flats south of the Little Manatee River and saw plenty of reds and quite a few snook, but none would so much as bump an artificial. There is still bait on the flats and on the range markers. Capt. Guarino told me he had some much bait in his net one day this week, that the weight of it tore the net to pieces. It's hard to believe that the bait can stick around much longer, but there have been times in the past when it could be found in the bay all through the winter.
Still nothing on cobia, and if I don't see a few fish on my next trip I'm going to give up on ling. I am seeing large numbers of sheepshead on the flats. That's a good thing, because the redfish usually follow. Sheepshead on the flats have proved practically impossible to catch. In all my years of fishing Tampa Bay, the only sheepshead I've ever seen caught on the flats was taken by a client who was casting to tailing redfish with a live shrimp. They do feed in the deep holes and passes on extreme low tides, but you have to walk a piece to get at them.
Captain Fred will teach a three hour inshore fishing class at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa on Tuesday December 02 from 7 to 10 PM. Cost of the course is $25 and includes a copy of the captain's latest book, Fish the Flats. Wives, Girlfriends, and Significant others get in free.
For more information visit Tampabayfishingguide.com, or call Capt. Fred Everson at 813 830 8890
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