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Power Plant Canal Still The Hot Spot

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BY NICK STUBBS

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

Published: February 24, 2009

Updated:

Hart's One Stop, 727-938-5364: The Anclote power plant outfall continues to be a hot spot, as winter temperatures keep the flats cool and make the warmer canal a fish magnet. Trout, permit and pompano have been the main catches, although the plant also attracts cobia. Mackerel also have been drawn to the outfall. The mangrove islands at the mouth of the Anclote River continue to provide some decent action on sheepshead, which are running to about 17 inches and taking shrimp, fiddler crabs or sand fleas.

Dunedin Bait and Tackle, 727-736-3474: Anglers have been picking up some trout, including a good percentage of keeper-sized fish to 20 inches or better, fishing the grass bottom near the Dunedin Marina. Fish have been taking shrimp and Berkley Gulp Baits in root-beer color. A number of good trout catches also were reported by anglers fishing along the Dunedin Causeway. Some of those fish were larger than 20 inches. The spoil islands north to Tarpon Springs have been turning up trout, as well. Fish have been running on the fat side and in the slot. There also have been a few reds taken around the islands.

Pier 60, 727-462-6466: Trout fishing has been on, with plenty of fish to 18 inches being caught on shrimp and live sardines under popping corks. The better bite has been around first light. Small lemon sharks have moved in around the pier, along with bonnethead sharks. The lemons have been only about 18 inches, with the bonnets running up to 36 inches. Both have been taking cut squid or shrimp. Most have been taken at night. Silver trout fishing has been good, with lots of fish 12 to 14 inches being landed. Frozen and live shrimp has been tops, through cut squid is producing a few fish. Whiting have been taken along with the trout, with most about the same size at the silvers.

Redington Long Pier, 727-391-9398: Sheepshead fishing has been productive, with fish to 16 inches being taken in good numbers. Live shrimp fiddler crabs have been top baits. Anglers have been scraping barnacles from pier pilings to chum the water and get the bite started. The best tool for the job has been floor scrapers. Spotted trout fishing has been decent, but the fish have been small. A few slot-sized fish have been landed, but most have fallen short of legal. A few flounder 12 to 15 inches have been landed on shrimp or live sardines bounced on the bottom on jig heads. The key has been to retrieve the baits over sandy patches of bottom, where the flounder wait to ambush.

Salonika's Bait and Tackle, 727-849-6377: Anglers are taking advantage of the cold gulf temperatures by fishing inside the Cotee River. It isn't glamour fishing, but sheepshead are a good bet around the bars and bridges, including the U.S. 19 bridge. Fish stick close to the pilings there, taking shrimp and frozen sand fleas well. Typical fish have been running 12 to 15 inches.

Nick Stubbs is founder and webmaster of Bitetracker.com, a fishing Web site specializing in daily fishing reports displayed on animated fish tracking charts.

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