We have four seasons in Florida – Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer and Christmas. But thanks goodness it’s almost summertime and fishing’s looking great for April.

I’ve had an awesome last three months catching nice spotted sea trout using shrimp and artificial lures. It’s always nice not having to throw the net for awhile. We had some really great days with trout measuring in the low to mid 20” range along with a few redfish, bluefish, some pompano and sheepshead.

Coming in April snook can be found around docks, bridges, mangrove islands, oyster bars or any other ambush spot. You often hear me talk about topwater action well this is a great month to a good topwater lure punched out of the water by a big snook. It’s also a great time to fish docks and bridge fenders at night. Any good lipped lure tossed at a lighted structure and ripped through the light line will produce everything from snook, redfish, trout or the occasional grouper.

Expect the trout fishing on any decent grass flat to be strong through the rest of the summer. Jigs with a plastic tails or shrimp free-lined or under a popping cork with do the trick. And don’t be surprised if you don’t pull up a nice pompano off some the sandy flats edges or in the beach surf.

Redfish are a staple of the area and you can expect to catch plenty from now right through the summer. Live baits or artificial it’s all fun tussling with these fighting dynamos. Targeting areas along the flats, edges of breaks and oyster bars should produce some nice fish.

Snapper, sharks, mackerel, bluefish should begin showing during the month of April especially when the large schools of threadfins show up.

Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing 813-477-3817. If you want to catch fish, have a memorable adventure or perhaps learning some new fishing tips give me a call. I also specialize in group or multi-boat charters. Tell me what you need and leave the rest to me. Fishing Florida for over 50 years I offer professionally guided fishing and teaching charters around Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Bradenton, Sarasota, and Tarpon Springs. If you’re interested in booking a trip, please visit his website CaptainWoodyGore.Com or call at: 813-477-3814.

March can be a tough time to catch fish since it’s basically a transition period for cold fronts that result in fluctuating temperatures. However, informed anglers will use their skills to increase the March fishing action.

During this unsettled period, the majority of fish are still found relatively deep particularly around rivers, inland flats, bays and coves. Although the situation can be complicated, it’s not impossible to put the odds in your favor. You must consider a variety of factors when locating fish during this changeover time.

Chasing fish for years, I spend the majority of time in March poking around broken bottom grass flats. Broken bottom is simply a grass flat with plenty of sand or shell pot holes. Another ideal location which offers a feeding zone is a shallow bay or cove located off a grass flat, but near a deeper channel. Then should the temperatures drop, it offers a safe sanctuary from the cold. Fish like snook are usually still in transition from deep water and these are great areas during March.

Occasionally, we get to enjoy some milder weather as spring approaches, the sun out, the winds are calm, and the fish begin moving onto the flats. For best results, try fishing at the top of a falling high tide concentrating your efforts on areas of nervous water, oyster bars and structure; looking for sandy pot holes holding snook or reds pushing water. Start out by easing along the shore and with a little luck you’ll be able to flip a jig into a pot hole or cut off a slow-moving redfish.

If you’re starting out and looking to purchase the right inshore tackle, don’t go too heavy when making your choice. Keep it simple and choose a light or medium spinning reel, 15 pound braided line, fluorocarbon leader and a matching 6 ½ to 7 ½ ft. light to medium-action rod. Next, rig up with a white, new penny, or green/white soft plastic jerk shad or shrimp body threaded onto a 1/8 or 1/4 oz. jighead.

Fish this combination fished with a slow retrieve or twitching action around and over pot holes or oyster bars will certainly attract attention and a strike. Other than that, if you prefer watching a hungry fish crush a topwater lure, you can certainly find this heart stopping action on shallow water grass flats. Recently, I acquired a new bait from a company named Thunder Baits Unlimited, Inc and have fished them recently on several redfish trips. They manufacture several diving and topwaters baits. The action on their Saltwater Model 601 is unbelievable. With a slow retrieve the bait leisurely wobbles back and forth one to three inches under the surface and leaves an incredible wake for the fish to follow. I had great success fishing this lure and we’ve caught redfish, snook and some really nice trout. With topwater lures the heart pounding strikes are awesome, but the anticipation is unnerving.

Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing 813-477-3817. If you want to catch fish, have a memorable adventure or perhaps learning some new fishing tips give me a call. I also specialize in group or multi-boat charters. Tell me what you need and leave the rest to me. Fishing Florida for over 50 years I offer professionally guided fishing and teaching charters around Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Bradenton, Sarasota, and Tarpon Springs. If you’re interested in booking a trip, please visit his website CaptainWoodyGore.Com or call at: 813-477-3814.

Snook: – There are greenbacks at the Skyway. Net some and there’s a good chance you can find a snook willing to eat them. I’ve been finding them back around docks in deeper water with muddy bottoms. I’ve also had several good days tossing diving or suspending lures around inshore canals, creeks and rivers.

Redfish – If you’re looking for bait the skyway is loaded with greenbacks and you normally don’t have to chum. Just throw into the shadow line and you’re usually done in one throw. I had several good Redfish days on the north and south end of the bay. Live or dead bait under a cork and you should get a good bite going.

Spotted Sea Trout- The trout bites been on fire all winter and should continue through February. There are some really big fish hanging around shallow water pot holes. And on negative winter tide, wading is the best bet with a tote full of good size shrimp. A good incoming or outgoing tide is usually the trick as they seem to eat better on moving water. Don’t be surprised when trout fishing with jigs if you catch several pompano. We’ve landed several nice fish this winter.

Cobia & Sharks – Last week I saw a few cobia cruising the warm water discharges near power plants and actually found a couple on the flats around the manatees. One was swimming under the big mammal and you could hardly see it. It seems there are always plenty of sharks, jacks, and ladyfish hanging around the power plants and they offer some first-class wintertime action.

Sheepshead - If you’re after these tasty fish the key places are bridges, pilings, docks, oysters and rock plies. Rig up with a #1 hook, small weight and a piece of shrimp, oyster or mussel, scrape the pilings and you’re in the game. Be ready… there are some really nice fish coming from around the bridges. “Give Me a Call & Lets Go Fishing”

Snook – You can still catch a few but if the water temperatures are lower than normal you need to look to muddy bottom inshore canals, creeks and rivers, deepwater docks. Occasionally you’ll find them on the sunny side a bank lying in the sun but you can usually forget about getting one to eat. Try targeting other species during the winter and give the snook a break, after all they normally trying to survive cold water temperatures.

Redfish – You can usually find redfish during the winter and sometime cut bait or artificial lures are your best bet. Again look around docks during the cooler months.

Spotted Sea Trout – Plenty of trout showing up and they are legal from January until November. Grass flats with moving water is the best, however some rivers and deep water channels hold smaller summer trout. Shrimp always produces but its more fun using soft plastics or topwater lures.

Mackerel, Cobia, Sharks – The power plants are the place to look for cobia and sharks during the winter months. But be alert as other species frequent the warm water discharges. During the winter months on the flats we still get the occasional mackerel and plenty of bluefish, ladyfish and jacks.

BE PREPARED… IT’S COMING

Falling temperatures mean cold water and granted ours is not what the neighbors to the north experience nevertheless things do change and fishing is one of them. Cold north winds, cold fronts and cold water should force changes in our thinking when it comes to catching wintertime fish. Winter also gives us other things to consider like staying warm. Nevertheless, do not let it keep you indoors, be prepared, get out there and fish.

As water temperatures drop, metabolisms weaken followed by generally slow sluggish behavior patterns. Since this change equates to less movement, less food is required. What does all this mean to you as an angler… as temperatures fall, metabolisms slow and fish become content to remain relatively immobile, preserving heat, energy, and eating only when necessary? Therefore, you must slow down you fishing techniques especially with artificial lures.

Cooling waters serve as preparation for migration. It triggers survival instincts sending them looking for refuge in deep bays, estuaries, marinas, harbors, canals, and rivers. Structure, not to be confused with cover, is any natural change in the bottom that might hold warmer water temperatures. Examples include creeks, humps, depressions, holes, springs, washouts, submerged riverbeds, sandbars, oyster beds, channels, and drop-offs. Cover, on the other hand is best described as anything natural or manmade. It’s interpreted as anything a fish or bait can use to conceal itself and consist of stick-ups, stumps, rocks, bridges, pilings, docks, weeds, fallen trees or limbs, boats, and boathouses. Now we know where they go – catching them is another story.

For generations, anglers where intrigued with the idea of outsmarting fish using artificial lures. During the winter and especially with the scarceness of natural baits, is a great time to use artificial’s. With artificial’s you get a different perspective and you can expect endless hours of fishing pleasu

Tossing artificial lures requires anglers to develop competence and it does not come overnight but involves practice and patience. Since it means developing the ability to deceive fish into eating unfamiliar shapes, sizes and colors it also involves learning where and when to look for certain species as temperatures begin falling.

Presentation is often construed to mean accurate casting. However, older lure anglers agree that while it plays a vital role there is more to it than pitching a lure into the water. It entails numerous things unrelated to casting, like types of lures, colors, sizes, shapes, noise, hard bodied or soft. Some float while others dive, sink or suspend at various depths. Most are designed to emulate a natural food source depending on how you work it.

In today’s world of high-tech fishing, there are hundreds of situations involving fish behavior that exist and learning them all could take a lifetime. For that reason, just start with some basics then figure out the rest by doing what we love…Fishing.

Snook – Snook season is open and the water temperatures should start cooling down a bit. When that happens, snook fishing ought to brighten up in Tampa Bay. We’ve maintained decent snook action all summer and October should turn out nicely. Anglers have been catching impressive quantities of fish on both half and three-quarter day trips with most averaging in the 22-27 inch range with several over 30 inches. Our big fish for September was a 39 incher. Artificial lures are a blast for those who enjoy matching wits with a linesider and live bait, free-lined or under a cork will always do the trick.

Redfish – The redfish where booming in September compared to August and this month should be outstanding as well. We’re still catching plenty in the 20 to 30 range with our big fish tipping the measuring stick at 33 inches. When redfish hesitate to take live greenbacks or pinfish, which is seldom, try tossing out a piece of cut bait, i.e. mullet, bluefish, or ladyfish. If redfish are in the area they’ll find it. I like to suspend it under a cork to let the scent travel with the current.

Sea Trout – The Trout bite will continue right into winter so be prepared for some decent October trout action. Drift any good grass flat, tossing livebait free lined or under a popping cork, or toss around some artificial lures and have a ball catching a mess for dinner.

Mackerel, Sharks, Bluefish, and Cobia – Large schools of mackerel, bluefish, yellowtail jacks and ladyfish are still around the bay chasing bait. As you travel the bay watch for diving birds and you’ve found feeding fish. Set up a drift near the activity and get ready for some fast and furious drag screaming action. I use 60 lb. Seaguar leader and long shank 2/0 hooks. Believe me when I tell you to be prepared to retie and use plenty of hooks.

Be prepared for the occasional cobia or shark to pop up at the worst moment, always have a rig ready to toss a small pinfish to a passing cobia. Cobia normally turn immediately to take a pinfish, we caught two in September one small one 35 inches.

It doesn’t take much chumming to get a shark bite going they seem to be everywhere. We normally catch plenty of smaller fish but our largest last month was somewhere close to 100 lbs.

Mangrove Snapper – these great eating fish are all over the bay and not bashful about eating small greenbacks or shrimp. You must be quick or they’ll clean you hook before you know it. If you feel the bump and do not hook up, reel in because your baits gone. Remember the first part of my report about Amendment 27/14 rule changes… well it applies to all snapper fishing… use circle hooks, have a vent tool and de-hooker.

Snook – The Snook bite has been good through October, however as the water temperatures start dropping look for bite to slow down. You can still catch this wily sometimes unpredictable fish… you just need to look in different places depending on the water temperatures. Snook are not cold hearty and migrate to areas with tolerable water temperatures. As the water temperatures drop their metabolisms slow considerably and they tend to exert only enough energy to catch food. They limit how much energy is used by not chasing bait, so slow down you presentation especially when using artificial lures. When using greenbacks during cool water temperatures I’ll often cut the tail fins off to slow them down. Remember, large shrimp, bridges, docks and deepwater structure results in a decent snook bite.

Redfish – The redfish action should continue into the cooler months and artificial lures are always productive and loads of fun when fished around mangroves, oyster bars and open water grass flats. Topwater’s or soft plastics on light jighead are your best bet. Live greenbacks, dollar-size pinfish, shrimp and cut baits also catch plenty of reds.

Sea Trout – The Trout bite’s been excellent especially on deeper water grass flats and should continue through the winter months. Here again artificial lures work really well especially on those cold morning when you can’t bring yourself to throw the net. But if you’re a die hard live baiter and can’t get greenies buy shrimp from you local bait house… they certainly need some business.

Remember, Steve Love’s original tandem jig… if not, they where excellent trout lures. Here’s the principal rig. Tie a 1/8 or 1/4 ounce jighead on the end of approximately 30 inches of 30 pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader. Then tie another one about 12 inches above the first and add you favorite small jig curly tail to each jighead. Now tie an Old Bayside Paradise Popper to the other end and tie the rig to your line. Toss it out, pop it a couple of times, let it settle and pop it again. How hold on because you’ll probably get a double hook up.

Spanish Mackerel, King Mackerel, Cobia, Sharks, and Bluefish – Schooling fish action will continue until the water temperatures get too cold. Last year the mackerel stayed into December. As you travel the bay watch for diving birds and you’ve found feeding fish. You can set up a drift near the activity or I like to anchor, and hang a couple of chum bags over the side then scatter a few live greenbacks around the boat. Watch the water and when they start striking toss a live greenie… fish on. Tie on some 60 lb. Seaguar leader and long shank 2/0 or 3/0 hook and get ready for some fast and furious drag screaming action. I’m fairly certain we hooked a large king mackerel last week… only got a quick glance as it zoomed past the boat on its last run before spooling our light tackle.

Cobia and sharks will also show so be prepared by having a rig ready to toss a small pinfish to a passing cobia or shark.

Mangrove Snapper, Sheepshead – the snapper bite continues and sheepshead should start picking up as the waters begin cooling.

Fishing the tides:

Understanding tides, knowing what causes them, and comprehending how they work can definitely affect your productivity. Moving water dramatically affects feeding patterns in fish and especially in areas with strong tidal flows.

The bite in Tampa Bay for example is practically non-existent on slack tides. However, let the water begin flowing and hang onto you rod and reel because the bites about to turn on. It’s actually fairly simply, the tides move, the tidal currents flow, the bait swims and the fish feed.

Snook One more month and the season opens again on September 1, 2009. There are plenty of Snook lurking around piece of structure and open grass flat throughout Tampa Bay. Pick a good incoming high tide and check out you favorite grass line, broken bottom grass flat and the mangrove shorelines.

The best live bait is a greenback about 3.5 to 5 inches long and to get them means throwing that dreaded cast net. If you’re catching bait on the flats check bait size before you load up that net. If they are still small you might want to use a ¼ inch net instead of the 3/8 inch. No one likes a Christmas tree first thing in the morning. You don’t need to use greenbacks Snook also eat things like pinfish, shrimp, threadfins, grunts and artificial lures.

One of my “walk-the-dog” topwater favorites is a lure manufactured by High Roller Lure Company (www.highrollerlures.com). The 4.25″ High Roller^TM is one of the most versatile topwater lures I’ve fished. Originally designed for Largemouth Bass in freshwater it’s characterized by its long casting ability and highly active back and forth jumping motion; I’ve found it deadly for a variety of elusive and exciting saltwater fish, specifically: Snook, Redfish, and Spotted Sea Trout. High Roller manufactures a variety of lures from stick baits to poppers and they all work equally well in saltwater applications.

Here’s a tip/secret for nighttime anglers looking for really large Snook. Use the large 7.5 inch RipRollers^TM around bridges, structure and hang on. Originally, designed for Peacock Bass fishing this lure is a surefire big Snook lure. But don’t tell anybody else.

Redfish We’re seeing some nice Redfish pushing into shallower water looking for food on incoming tides. Find a large school of mullet and you’ll normally find a few Redfish. Green backs, small pinfish, shrimp, and for those that like pitching soft plastics are excellent baits for a few Redfish.

Sea Trout I’ve caught more big Trout this summer since before the last big Red Tide fiasco a few years ago when it seemed like they had disappeared for the bay. Well they’re back, and bigger than ever. Find a deepwater grass flat free-line a greenback or shrimp over some and its Trout for dinner. Paradise Poppers bobbers with a medium split-shot about 8″ above a 2/0 circle hook and work the cork by popping it, letting it set a moment, then popping it again.

Don’t be surprise if fishing deep water if you catch Mackerel, Bluefish, Ladyfish, Jacks, Sharks and of course Trout. Topwater popping plugs like High Roller’s ChugRoller^TM is a great Trout lure or soft plastic jerkbaits over any deep broken bottom grass can offer artificial anglers some nice action.

Mackerel, Sharks, Cobia, and Tarpon Big Mack’s are everywhere in Tampa Bay. You must fish a moving tide and they’re feeding on anything that swims. Hang a chum block over the side, rig up using 60 # Seaguar leader and long shank hooks, hook a large greenback or threadfin at the joint near the pectoral fin, cast it out and hang on. If you want a few sharks try cutting chunks of Threadfins or Greenbacks tossing them out in the current… the sharks will come.
We’re catching some really big Mackerel with many measuring 30″ and weighing 5 to 6 lbs. Remember, that big Snook secret? It works on big Mackerel and Sharks. Take a fairly calm day, toss out a few chum baits to get them working and work the HighRoller^TM 7.5 or 6.5 inch RipRoller^TM across the surface. There is nothing as exciting as having a 5 or six foot shark take it on the surface. (use 90 to 120 # Tyger Leader/wire leader and bend down the barbs).

Cobia: I’ve been seeing a few Cobias around the bay most are cruising markers and cans or following large rays or manatees around the flats. When Mackerel fishing with a chum block keep you eyes open as Cobia’s like to hang around you boat. If you net your bait keep a few smaller pinfish and use them for the Cobia.

Tarpon: Plenty of Tarpon at the Skyway, Egmont and on the beaches. Large Greenbacks, Threadfins, or a crab should do the trick. Some are also showing up around the bridges at night. Don’t be surprised is you bait get eaten by a large shark as plenty of them also cruise the bridges during the evening hours.

The Tampa Bay waters are full of fish and offer excellent Snook, Redfish and Trout action starting at the north end of the Bay down to the Skyway. Some North Tampa Bay hotspots are Safety Harbor, Mobly Bay, Rocky Point, Rocky Creek, and Double Branch. If you fish the north end the Courtney Campbell Causeway Ramp is a decent boat launch but has limited parking especially on weekends. Central bay areas include Picnic Island, Coffee Pot Bayou, Weedon Island, Fourth Street, Cypress Flats, and Culbreath Isle Flats and you can launch at either the Causeway or Salty Sol Boat ramp located on West Gandy Blvd on the Tampa side of the Gandy Bridge. Good producing locations on the southeast shore with boat ramps located at Williams Park and Simmons Park include the Alafia and Little Manatee River, Apollo Beach Flats, the Kitchen, Simmons Park, big and little Cockroach Bay, Piney Point, Bishops Harbor, and Joe Bay. On the St. Petersburg side check out Pinellas Point, The Skyway Fishing Pier, Tarpon Key, Indian Key, Tierra Verde/Fort Desoto and Boca Ciega Bay all the way into Bradenton and Sarasota.

Because the fishing pressure continues to climb throughout Florida and because it’s a wonderful pastime for friends and families it’s import that we protect the assets that give us pleasure. Many of us enjoy eating a good fish dinner so don’t hesitate to take enough for a meal. However, filling your freezer with fillets is not in the best interest of protecting our fish.

Unless properly frozen fish have a short shelf life usually 2 to 6 months depending on fat content and how it’s frozen. Otherwise it quickly becomes freezer burned destined only for the garbage. It doesn’t matter how good your freezer, nothing saves a piece of fish if the package’s air tight seal is lost. The omega-3 fats are highly unstable and when exposed to air oxidize quickly, leaving that recognizable, rancid, fishy, smell and taste. Whenever you take fish from your freezer and the seal appears broken, give it the smell test.

Remember, if it’s not in the freezer you have an excellent reason to go fishing, “like we really need one”.

Early mornings, light wind and a small ripple on the water are excellent times to fish topwater lures for Snook, Redfish and Trout. Like hundreds of anglers one of my favorite topwater’s is the MirrOlure and it’s made right here in Largo, Florida. As a company committed to offering the highest quality, they continually improve and manufacture state of the art lures which results in millions of fish caught in both fresh and saltwater. One of my favorites is the Top Dog series and a favorite of everyone the 7M. Always on the cutting edge they’ve recently created three additional fish catchers: the MirrOMullet Surface Walker, Suspending MirrODine, & MirrOMinnow, I have used these new lures with exceptional results on Snook, Redfish and Trout.

Use a “walk-the-dog” or twitch technique, across a grassy flat in 2 to 3 feet of water and hold on to your fishing rod. Snook strikes for example are usually so violent they frequently push the lure right out of the water, so wait until you feel the fish before setting the hook. Redfish on the other hand make a swirling strike and occasionally miss on the first attempt. If you’re “walking the dog” slow it down but never stop it. Countless times I’ve seen someone stop the lure only to see the Redfish turn away and lose interest. Conversely if you keep the lure moving the Red keeps striking. Again, wait until you feel the fish to set the hook.

Here’s a little something about hook setting. We’ve watched bass professionals wrench back on their rods to set the hook. Some reasons given for this type of hook set is quick reaction times result in good hookups, getting the stretch out their monofilament line and forcing the hook point (usually rigged weedless by embedding it into the soft plastic lure) out of the plastic lure and into the fish.

Today with many anglers switching to braided line and open J-hooks aggressive, haul back and set the hook techniques are unnecessary. Because braid has little or no stretch and no memory just getting the slack out of the line forces the hook set. With braided line like when you see or feel a strike quickly lift the rod to remove any slack line and reel the hook does the rest. “Slack Line is Not Your Friend” and I’ve seen thousands of anglers miss a strike because of it.

One final point on hook setting involves circle hooks that have been around for centuries. Over the last 10 to 20 years and with a move toward environmentally friendly fishing “Circle Hooks” increased in popularity with recreational anglers. They’ve proved to be the most fool proof way of hooking fish that produces the least damage. Hook sets normally occur in the outside edge of the mouth and seldom if ever throat or gut-hooks a fish. Circle hooks are automatic, just lift your rod, take up any slack line, (which should not be there) and it’s a hookup. Try to set the hook yourself by pulling before you feel the fish and guess what? The fish wins.

Snook: (Season Opens March 1^st – April 30^th). Unless we have an extended winter season keeping the water temperatures down the Snook should be out and about looking for food. As the water temperatures rise they move into summertime patterns. Greenbacks will begin showing up again and live bait anglers will be getting out that dreaded cast net. Look for Snook to pattern along outside edges and points along mangrove islands and shorelines especially where tidal flows move bait. Our miles of grass flats with sandy potholes also offer excellent ambush locations. Live bait, suspending lures, topwater’s and soft plastics always produce.

Redfish: There’s nothing more exciting to a Redfish angler than easing onto a shallow grass flat and seeing fish tails waving in the air. Identify which direction they are feeding and approach quietly. Natures provided Redfish with exceptional eyesight and hearing and can almost hear you change your mind. With quit and low profile mandatory serious anglers often slip over the side wading to within casting distance. With perfectly placed cast try picking off the outside fish never casting directly into the school.

In every report I write about mullet schools and it bears repeating when locating feeding Redfish. Redfish follow schooling mullet eating the baits they stir up so, fishing these mullet schools usually produces. Live bait, suspending lures, top water and soft plastics always yield good Redfish catches. While some anglers use the dead stick method with cut ladyfish, mullet or chunks of crab.

Spotted Sea Trout: March will continue producing good catches on incoming or outgoing tides. I cannot emphasize the excitement of using topwater lures on calm early morning flats. Trout love the MirrOlure’s 7M series, 5M series, Top Dog and new MirrOMullet. Twitch or “walk-the-dog” and pause the lure momentarily after each series. The anticipation is un-nerving.

For die-hard live baits users, live shrimp, greenbacks, or pinf ish under a Paradise Popper from Old Bayside, find a good broken bottom grass flat and you’ll catch trout. Its four fish per person, per day, with a slot limit of 15 to 20 inches. You can have one fish over 20 in the southern region. On moving tides check the flats around Weedon Island, 4th Street, Culbreath Bayou, Cockroach Bay, Bishops Harbor, Simmons Park, Joe Island also Ft. Desoto, Tarpon Key, Indian Key, Boca Ciega Bay, and Pinellas Point flats are good bets.

Cobia, Mackerel, Sharks: As the bait shows up these should follow. Check markers and cans holding bait and be ready to toss something in the path of a circling Cobia. Not picky about food Cobia will readily take large shrimp, small crabs and pin fish or toss them an artificial jerk bait or plastic eel. Mackerel with eat greenbacks, threadfins, silver spoons and Gotca lures.

Well folks it’s definitely here… summer time heat and warm water fishing. This year fishing in Tampa Bay’s been awesome. But remember July brings hot humid days and very warm water. Not only can it be challenging to find fish willing to eat but this hot weather’s equally hard on anglers venturing out during the heat of the day. Early mornings, late afternoons and nighttime trips can make this month more bearable. We can expect water temperatures to climb into the high eighties and low nineties especially on shallow water flats and backcountry. Fish everywhere will be looking for relief so plan your fishing trips toward areas offering some cool water reprieves. Deeper cuts and troughs around the grass flats, islands, shade around the mangrove shores, passes, creeks and deeper holes throughout the bay.

Let’s Go Fishing in Tampa Bay:

Tampa Bay offers excellent angling for over 200 species of fish. Tampa Bay starts at the extreme north end all the way down to the Skyway Bridge. Pick a good day with a respectable incoming or outgoing tide and catch fish. Many places are fishable from land for shore anglers or accessible to those who like to wade. For those with boats or Kayaks there are many public and private boat ramps located throughout the bay area.

Snook (Snook Season Closed) It’s seems like the Snook are everywhere throughout the bay. Pick a likely spot, hookup a medium sized greenie; toss it toward a mangrove line and its fish on. Good reports are coming in from the north end down past the Skyway. Weedon Island is a favorite spot for many anglers and gets plenty of pressure from Snook anglers. If you’re tired of the same old scenery venture away from you favorite spots and find new areas.

If Snook is all you want to catch there are plenty around but when you catch one take a look at its mouth and you’ll see why I’m suggesting targeting something different. Their mouths are in terrible shape from being hooked and released. So, you might want to think about giving them a rest during the closed season and try one of the other 200 plus species throughout Tampa Bay.

Redfish (No closed season, one fish per person per day, within the 18” to 27” slot limit) Redfish are popping up all over the bay and pushing into shallower water as the tide climbs. There is no shortage of large mullet schools and Redfish aren’t far behind. Green backs, small pinfish, shrimp and for those that like pitching soft plastics and topwater’s around the mangroves you can expect some great action on high in coming tides. If you’re lucky to find a school moving around a shoreline, setup and wait they will move back and forth when feeding. Chasing them only causes them to scatter.

Sea Trout (Season Open, four fish per person per day, within the 15” to 20” slot limit) Free-line a greenback or shrimp over some deep grass flats and its Trout for dinner. You might try suspending a shrimp under Paradise Popper with a medium split-shot about 8” about a 2/0 circle hook and work the cork by popping it, letting it set a moment, then popping it again if there are fish in the area it won’t take long before you hooked up. Topwater popping plugs or soft plastic jerkbaits over any broken bottom grass flat can offer artificial anglers some nice action.

Mackerel, Sharks, Cobia, and Tarpon I can’t say enough about the big Mackerel showing up all over the bay. They’re all over the bay feeding on Anchovies, and Threadfins. Hang a chum block over the side through out some cut chunks of Threadfins or Greenbacks and get ready. I’m getting reports of big fish ranging in the four to seven pound range caught using a long shank 2/0 hooks and fifty pound Seaguar Fluorocarbon leader. Cobia: I’ve been seeing a few Cobias around the bay most are cruising markers or following large rays or manatees around the flats. When Mackerel fishing with a chum block keep you eyes open as Cobia’s like to hang around you boat. If you net your bait keep a few smaller pinfish and use them for the Cobia. Tarpon: Plenty of Tarpon at the Skyway and on the beaches. Large Greenbacks, Threadfins, or a crab should do the trick. If you’re casting to them use a rod and reel combo that allow for a longer distance cast.