Slow Fishing in Hot Weather
Capt. Fred Everson
July 7, 2008
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fairly nice weather this week led to mediocre inshore fishing on the south end of Tampa Bay. The afternoon bite was better, but not much. I fished for trout on Pinellas Point twice. The first trip began at 7:00 am and we fished a rising tide without much luck. One 20 inch trout hit a Mirrolure 57 MS right next to the boat, and we caught and released two shorts, and that was the trout bite for the day. We crossed the bay to try for redfish late in the morning in Little Cockroach Bay. Conditions were perfect for fishing cut bait on the shadow line of the mangroves – high tide and murky water. Nobody told the redfish, however, and we finally called it a day as the wind died and it got very hot.
The next day I decided to try the outgoing tide in the afternoon across the bay again. Roger Mills of Ruskin put the first trout in the box, but the bite never really took off. We caught another keeper trout, a bunch of shorts, a Spanish mackerel, and had a plug cut off by a bluefish, and that was it. On a hot bite with a fast moving tide, it is usually no trouble to catch and release a bunch more fish. But this is not unusual in the summer months. With water temperature hovering in the high 80s in the bay, fish aren't generally as active in the heat of the day.
Capt. Danny Guarino said he had a much better day on Pinellas Point fishing live bait earlier in the week. He said he was catching trout until a school of bluefish mixed with Spanish mackerel moved in when the tide started to drop.
I had one offshore report from early last week from Shawn Hencye who said he had a banner day 7 miles off Egmont Key, catching more than 40 Spanish mackerel, 6 cobia, and uncounted sharks and bonito.
Capt. Fred will host a 3 hour inshore fishing school class at Skipper's Smokehouse on Tuesday,
July 08 at 7:00 pm. The $25 registration fee includes a copy of the captain's latest book, Fish the Flats -- a $17.95 Value. For details call 813 830 8890
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