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Warm water chasing fish offshore

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 23, 2009

Updated:

Sully's Marine and Beach Store, 727-697-3923: Anglers have been scoring some keeper trout of late, but they are heading to the deep grass flats off Hudson to find them.

The warm water has meant few fish are in shallower water. The redfish bite has been good, with anglers taking some good numbers of slot fish working bars and rocks north of Hudson Beach up to Filman's Bayou. Live bait and artificials have been working.

Offshore, grouper diggers have been complaining that in 30 feet of water, they are landing as many as 30 or 40 undersized fish just to get a keeper fish. Those heading to 60 feet and deeper have been finding better fish.

Salonika's Bait and Tackle, 727-849-6377: Anglers have been doing well on trout fishing the grass beds off the stilt house north of the Cotee River.

Snookers are finding action at the north end of Anclote Key, where fish to 18 pounds have been caught and released on the beach. The bars around Green Key, in the New Port Richey area, have been producing some reds to 24 inches, and anglers fishing offshore at the Pasco No. 2 artificial reef report there have been a lot of cobia there.

A woman who reported seeing lots of other fish that would not take the bait landed one fish of 42 inches.

Hart's One Stop, 727-938-5364: Anglers fishing at Anclote Park reported taking a number of snapper 11 to 13 inches. Fish were taking shrimp around pilings near the boat ramp.

Three Rooker Bar, between Anclote Key and Dunedin Pass, has been a good place to score a snook. Fish have been oversized for the most, with a few in the slot range. Either way they are being released, as snook are out of season.

Dunedin Bait and Tackle, 727-736-3474: The northwest end of Honeymoon Island produced snook for anglers fishing early in the morning. Fish were running undersized to oversized, taking live sardines, grunts and pinfish free-lined. Some were taken on shrimp.

The bite was short, shutting down quickly after it got started. Anglers fishing near Pirate's Cove Marina south of the Dunedin Causeway reported taking some reds to 27 inches fishing mangroves with live shrimp and pinfish on the bottom.

Fish also were caught of oyster bars there. The waters off H.S. "Pop" Stansell Park, in the Palm Harbor area, have been producing some snook. Fish have been ranging from under to over the slot limit, biting best early and late in the day. Live shrimp and pinfish have been tops.

Pier 60, 727-462-6466: Cobia have been around the pier on Clearwater Beach, though most have been small.

Fish up to 20 inches are typical, taking shrimp, small pinfish and other baits. Pompano have been moving in and out. When they are there, fish to 15 inches have been taking yellow and pink Silly Willy jigs tipped with shrimp or cut sardines.

Free-lined shrimp also have taken a few fish. Mackerel have been schooling and running to 18 inches, with some fish from 20 to 22 inches caught. Live sardines free-lined or under floats, along with Gotcha Plugs and Cark's silver spoons have been getting it done. Snook are being caught and released, with most taken at night on live sardines or topwater plugs. Mangrove snapper have been biting well at times, with fish to 13 inches landed on shrimp and fiddler crabs.

A few sheepshead are being taken along with them. Most have been no larger than 15 inches.

Dubai Long Pier, 727-391-9398: Tarpon have been running 80 to 100 pounds, with a number of fish hooked by anglers fishing live baits from outrigger setups at the end of the pier at Redington Beach. Live threadfins and pinfish have been top baits. Snook have been landed at night under the pier lights. Some fish were slot-sized, though released because of the closed season.

Mackerel fishing has been good, with fish 15 to 17 inches taking live and cut sardines, along with Gotcha Plugs, silver and gold spoons. Trout fishing has been good, with fish 15 to 20 inches taking live sardines and shrimp either free-lined or under popping corks. The better bite, and the larger fish, have been caught at night.

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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