Tampa Fishing - Captain Stewart Ames 7-12

[Fishing Report]

July 2011 Tampa Fishing Report

Posted: 28 Jun 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Every year, certain fish seem to be available in above average numbers, yet others are strangely absent. Two years ago, mangrove snapper were everywhere from October into December. Tampa fishing guides were literally assured of limiting out for most of the fall season then, fast forward one year, there were no snapper to be found. This spring, for the first time in fours years, "rat" redfish were everywhere, yet slot redfish remained mysteriously absent as spring changed to summer. With redfish action remaining somewhat "hit or miss", it looked like tough fishing on many Tampa Fishing Charters...then the snook showed up. Why , just two years post to one of the worst freezes that the Tampa Area had ever seen, is the snook fishing off the hook? All of this can best be summed up by the saying "that's just fishing". As a result, Tampa Fishing Guides must become proficient at catching the full range of game fish species available so as to be able to produce when one species just shuts off.

During the month of June, the dependable redfish is typically targeted on the higher phases of the tide. The result is usually at least a half dozen slot fish. Over the last month, most slot fish have come off of residential docks. When fishing mangrove shorelines and flats, fish have averaged 17 to 20 inches with a couple of bonus fish in the 29 to 31 inch range. The bottom line is that nothing has really changed from the previous month. More slot fish are apparently being caught in both Tampa Bay and north of Pinellas County so the hope is that a big push of fish will make it's way into St Joseph's Sound and the redfishing will return to normal. Time will tell. Cut baits cast under docks and along mangrove shorelines have been the most effective approach.

On the bright side, as mentioned above,snook fishing has remained very good. In a normal June, the hope would be to catch three or four decent snook and then land a good number of redfish. It has clearly been much easier to catch snook than redfish recently. An early start is the best way to get on the board with a few linesiders. Fish that are residing in the swash channels out on the beaches are very susceptible to being caught in the early to mid morning hours. In most snook fishing scenarios, tide plays a critical role in getting these fish to bite but, oftentimes, good action can be had early absent of significant tidal movement. Typically, by 9 or 10AM, this opportunity is over. Most Tampa Fishing Guides will then either move to areas of higher current flow or, if the tide is within and hour or two of high, move back into redfish country. As the tide peaks and begins to go out, current around the points of our barrier island begins to pick up and the snook bite can ignite again. On a recent Tampa Fishing Charter, several fish were landed early along the beach but the bite was sporadic so the Tampa Fishing Guide decided it was best to move. Now mid morning, he relocated to an area with more water movement. A free-lined whitebait was cast just up-current of the snook holding spot and it was immediately hit, as was the second, third, fourth, and fifth bait. This went on for an hour straight with over 40 fish to 35 inches hooked. Twenty five were landed and fifteen were lost with many fish being over thirty inches in length. It is believed by many that snook are smart. The reality is that they, like humans, just have a very defined feeding pattern. Figure it out and snook may be among the easiest fish to catch for 15 minutes to a half hour. As quickly as the bite begins however, it's over.

More often than not, a group of sighted snook will not bite immediately. Sometimes, the patient angler will be rewarded for simply "working" these fish for 45 minutes to an hour. During an early June Tampa Fishing Charter, a group of fifteen very large snook were located up on a shallow flat. The fish were holding in one area and were not moving off from cast baits...a good sign...but they would not eat either. After forty five minutes of repeatedly pitching whitebaits into the midst of the school, a large cloud came over and visibility was compromised so the Tampa Fishing Guide suggested that his anglers stop casting for a minute. When the sun re-emerged, the fish were still there, maybe slightly closer to the boat. The next three casts were rewarded with hookups...all 35 inch fish. These fish were landed and released and the fish would not eat one more bait. Other tricks that might be used are chumming to fish that aren't turned on. Sometimes, a few easy snacks will trigger lethargic fish to eat. On other occasions, fish holding in a deeper run with a stronger current may not want to rise up to eat a bait drifting by but, by adding a small split shot eighteen inches above the line, you may slow the bait enough such that one of the fish in the group will decide to eat. Varying baits is yet another approach. Try using a much larger bait like a ladyfish, grunt or shad if the fish seem uninterested in a whitebait or threadfin. When Tampa fishing for snook last summer, a seatrout ate a whitebait intended for a snook but never made it to the boat as a 38 inch fish came up and ate the 15 inch trout on the way in. The next cast was made with the largest bait in the well and was quickly rewarded. Stay creative, try different things as these efforts will be rewarded.

Seatrout numbers are declining slightly but legal fish are still available out on the beaches. Most of these fish are caught as "by-catch" when fishing for snook but it's good to have them around as, with snook now closed on the west coast of Florida through August 2012, trout provide a good meal for the angler wanting to take something home to cook up. Using free lined whitebaits is the ticket. Summer fishing makes for great scenery as most of the activity is out along the beaches. Beautiful water and the afternoon sea breeze make it a great place to be. Good luck and good fishing.













June 2011 Tampa Fishing Report

Posted: 29 May 2011 08:15 AM PDT

Much to the delight of Tampa area fishermen, snook have returned both earleir and in better numbers than last year...indicative that fish populations are on the mend from the severe winter of two years ago. Almost every Tampa Fishing Charter run in the last two weeks has produced at least one quality fish and, on some days, a half dozen. Although fish numbers aren't yet back to where they were, there are fish in almost all locations that snook should be found this time of year and the average size is probably 32 inches...with many fish in the mid thirty inch range. As is always the case, these fish seem to bite better on moving water and, in certain cases, when the water is just a little bit cloudy. As the gulf waters are gin clear right now and these fish reside in relatively shallow water, they will often become line shy. Sometimes a water clarity change will trigger a bite, as happened on a Tampa fishing charter a few weeks ago. Having patiently fished a group of large fish for over an hour with no success, the Tampa Fishing guide decided that the fish needed to be rested and went trout fishing. Upon returning a short 45 minutes later, three snook were hooked on the first four casts. The fourth cast yeilded a redfish....all from the same spot that didn't produce a fish just a short while before. Although tidal movement had been good during the first part of the day, fish refused to bite until the water became a little discolored. Others adjustments that can be made to catch cautious snook are using extra long flouracarbon leaders...five to six feet. Also, downsizing the leader from 30 to 20lbs test can make a difference...just be aware that a 15 to 20 lbs snook will take a while to land on light tackle and the 20 lbs leader is at risk of wearing out after rubbing against a snook's small teeth over the course of a protracted battle. Tampa Fishing guides will go down to 20 lbs leader, but usually only when snook cannot be coaxed into biting the heavier line. Some snook fishermen take a different approach...believing that braided lines are just too visible... and leave their snook rods spooled with monofilament line.

A myth exists that snook are an incredibly smart and elusive fish and there is good reason for this. During the spring and summer months, these fish are usually found in very predictable and visbile areas. As a result, most snook fishing is done to "sighted" fish. When an angler throws thirty or forty casts in front of a group of fish that can be seen and is not rewarded with a bite, it is logical to come to the conclusion that these fish are "smart" becuase they won't eat the bait. The reality is quite different. Snook, much like humans, have "meal times" and, quite honestly, can be downright careless once the dinner bell goes off. Tampa fishing guides, as well as good recreational snook fishermen, know that most of the snook caught on a given day will be caught in a short period of time. Catching snook becomes all about determining when a certain group of fish will eat. Two clear pieces of the equation are tides and time of day. Snook tend to eat at both ends of the day but most importantly, on strong water movement. Big tides at dawn and dusk certainly heighten the odds of success. By fishing to different groups of fish during these prime times, Tampa fishing guides will start to develop patterns. Group A eats first thing in the morning. Group B eats two hours after the tide starts to go out etc etc. It does not mean that these fish will always eat at that same time, but if a Tampa fishing guide works hard enough on patterning enough groups of fish, it is highly likley that, during the course of a fishing trip, that one group of active snook will be encountered and this short fifteen to thirty minutes period of activity may yeild 3 to 6 fish. Successful snook fishing, like so many things in life, is simply the result of hard work.

Trout are still being encountered out on the beach and, although not as big as their winter counterparts, legal fish are mixed in with the shorts. Tampa fishing guides are finding whitebait the most productive bait choice by far. If trout don't immediately bite after arriving on a spot, a net full of bait distributed into the immediate area will set them off. If it doesn't, go look somewhere else as the fish probably are. Large trout are often encountered when fishing for snook and can add some entertainment to the day when the snook aren't feeding. This action will last for a few more weeks and then these trout will decline in number and size.

The redfish mystery continues in northern Pinellas County with the consensus among tampa fishing guides that big fish and little fish are dominating the catch. Although something about the local fishing changes every year, this is the first time in recent memory where 24 to 27 inch fish have not been abundant at this time of year. Almost every Tampa fishing charter produces at least one redfish over the limit of 27 inches, with many of these fish surpassing thirty inches in length. Most quality slot fish caught in the last month have been coaxed out from under residential docks. Schooling fish, when found, have all been large and the "resident" fish that hold along mangrove shorelines have averaged 18 to 20 inches....legal fish, but they offer up a pretty skinny fillet for anyone looking for a redfish dinner. With that said, there is nothing wrong with catching an overslot redfish or two every time out as these bruisers will burn some serious drag. A piece of cut mullet or pinfish makes for a great bait as it can be be cast both accurately and for distance, allowing the angler to keep a good bit of distance between the boat and the fish.

With the snook bite remaining as strong as it has been, there's plenty of ways to bend a rod during the course of a Tampa Fishing Charter. Big redfish, snook averaging 30+inches, scattered seatout, a stray mackerel or shark are all a possibility...maybe even a tarpon rolling down the beach. Whatever the target, the weather is beautiful, the water clear and the action strong. Good luck and good fishing.


Gone Fishing Charters
Tampa Bay
Capt Stewart Ames.
http://www.tampa-fishing-charter.com/
727-742-5291