Snook action has been fair, but still closed. You’ll find plenty of large fish around bridges and passes especially at night with free-lined baits like pinfish, greenbacks and jumbo shrimp. Fish the broken bottom grass flats and mangroves for some exciting action. Live bait or artificial lures should do the trick.
Mangrove Snapper: If you’re looking for some late summer fun particularly for the youngsters, take them snapper fishing. Not only are these fish fun to catch, but they are great eating. Small free-lined greenbacks or pieces of fresh shrimp around markers, bridges or rock piles will usually result in a limit of fish. If the tides are strong add enough weight (1/4 – 3/8 oz.); knocker rig to keep the bait down. Here’s a tip: Put them on ice immediately, this make them much easier to clean, because it gels the fat in their stomach keeping it from sticking to your knife.
Mackerel and Blue Fish: Tampa Bay is still be loaded with plenty of threadfins, so if you’re looking for awesome, light tackle action Mac’s and Blues are excellent targets this month. Threadfins are everywhere, but look around marker cans, range markers or shallow reefs. Anchor up current, toss out a few baits for chum, throw to the striking fish and hang onto your rod and reel.
Redfish action will be steady with fish moving around the area. If they’re grouped up always approach carefully; you don’t want to split them, it’s often difficult to get them back together. When approaching fish pole or slow troll to within casting distance, Power-Pole down and get off the bow, so as to present a low profile. Try to pick off fish at the outer edges; never cast into the middle of a school. Reds eat shrimp, greenbacks, pinfish and crabs. If they’re not looking for something natural remember cut bait always works.
Spotted Trout fishing is always productive around lush grass flats. It takes moving water to get them eating, but when they start… its fish-on. Popping corks with artificial DOA of Gulp Shrimp or live shrimp and greenbacks will produce a mess of trout. Deeper water rocky bottoms and some markers are producing some really nice catches of larger silver trout.
Cobias are still hanging around the markers and can throughout the bay if you’re interested in using a lot of fuel chasing around and checking things out.
“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing” – 813-477-3814Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. Guiding and fishing the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas for over fifty years; he offers world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories.WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM
Single or Multi-boat Group Charters are all the same. With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Woody can arrange and coordinate any outing or tournament. Just tell him what you need and it’s done. Visit his website at: , send an email to wgore@ix.netcom.com or give him a call at 813-477-3814.