Guide bites
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck reports the redfish bite has been pretty good. He’s been doing well fishing both sides of the bay above the Howard Frankland Bridge, finding small pods of slot-sized fish tight to the mangroves on high water. Live sardines have been working well. He’s only picked up one snook in those areas over the last couple of trips and he’s not been seeing many. Trout are on the grass beds off the Gandy and Howard Frankland bridges, with 5 to 6 feet of water with patchy sand holes is where to find them. He’s also been finding some schooling Spanish mackerel, primarily below the Gandy Bridge in open water. Some of the fish have been quite large and live sardines are taking them.
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George says he’s been consistently putting his anglers on redfish. He’s been fishing at Weedon Island and the east side of the bay above the Gandy Bridge, finding the fish running the mangroves on high water. Multiple fish per trip has been the norm, with most falling between 19 and 23 inches. Live sardines have been producing. He’s noticed the snook well up into the mangrove roots when the water is up, but he’s been able to draw them out by chumming with live sardines. Once out of the tangle, his anglers have managed to hook and land a few, with most of the fish smaller males between 24 and 26 inches. For trout, he’s been working grass beds below the Gandy in 5 to 6 feet of water, finding fish along drops into deeper water. Live sardines or quarter-ounce jigs with soft plastic tails are working. It takes some time to get keeper-sized fish, as most have been just undersized. Spanish mackerel schools have been between the St. Pete artificial reef up to the Gandy Bridge. Live sardines or gold spoons have been taking them up to 26 inches. Look around range markers and in 8 feet of water near shallower flats. There also have been fish on the reef at times.
Tackle shop roundup
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Bill reports than some of his anglers have been heading to the top of the bay for reds, finding fair numbers of fish at Double Branch and Rocky creeks. They also have made some nice catches at Cooper’s Point just above the Courtney Campbell Causeway on the Pinellas side of the bay. Another spot producing reds over the past week as been Weedon Island, where a nice-size school of reds has been feeding. The problem has been the area has been getting a lot of pressure from anglers, keeping the fish nervous and moving. Trout fishing has been pretty good, with anglers reporting finding fish all over the bay on grass beds in 4 to 8 feet of water. Snook are hanging around mangroves and a good tactic is to put out a fresh cut bait and let it sit on the bottom and wait. Be sure the spot is where snook are frequently seen, otherwise it’s a futile tactic. Spanish mackerel action has picked up nicely, with schools out in open water from the Skyway Bridge all the way to near the Gandy Bridge. Anglers also have been having fun with tarpon to about 40 pounds. They’ve been running along the bay bridges, but also on the flats early in the morning of Fourth Street on the Pinellas side of the bay and the shallow hump known at the Middle Grounds just below the Gandy Bridge…