Isolated thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 87F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..
Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 76F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph.
Updated: June 19, 2024 @ 5:22 am
Debi Petri shows off her largest-ever snook, caught on a trip in Tampa Bay last week with Capt. Chuck Rogers. The fish took a live sardine.

Debi Petri shows off her largest-ever snook, caught on a trip in Tampa Bay last week with Capt. Chuck Rogers. The fish took a live sardine.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck is finding the snook bite picked up post-hurricane, with fish a bit more active and feeding around outside points and mangroves. Live sardines have been producing best. The mangrove snapper bite remains better than typically seen, with fish to 14 or 15 inches being taken on structure of any kind, including bridge and dock pilings, rocks and reefs. As the bay water clears up this week, some of the action that stalled with the murky conditions should return, including the pompano bite under the Gandy Bridge that shut down when the water got murky following the storm. The trout bite is one of the more reliable bets, with fish hanging around drops into 5 or 6 feet of water on the outside edges of grass flats.
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George says he’s still doing well on snook fishing flooded mangroves, where they have been retreating from the heat of the day. His tactic is to cast live sardines up-current of mangrove overhangs and let them be carried up the edges of the growth to coax the fish out. His anglers have been picking up a redfish now and again, though the overall redfish drought seen this year remains. A few sources have told him if reds are the target, fish between the Howard Frankland Bridge and the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Mangrove snapper fishing is strong, and his anglers have been landing fish from 12 to 14 inches, with the odd larger fish in the mix. They take small, live sardines, cut sardines or shrimp. Look for feeding schools of Spanish mackerel around range markers and trout fishing has been pretty good on drops into deeper water off shallow grass flats.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Billy reports anglers took a break the week following the hurricane, but a few have been getting out and finding some fish. Trout have been biting fairly well on the grass flats in Riviera Bay, in front of Weedon Island and off Picnic Island. Mangrove snapper have been a sure thing for anglers fishing with shrimp around bridge pilings, under docks and rocky bottom. There seem to be more than enough sharks in the bay to keep rods bent, with fish ranging from a couple of feet to 6 feet or more under the bridges. Most anglers have been reporting murky water, but the hope is this will be the week clarity returns.
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Some customers have been fishing at the Tierra Verde bridges, where they have been doing well on pompano. A couple of keeper-sized gag grouper were taken under the Skyway Bridge, where the mangrove snapper fishing has been very good, as well. The other bay bridges have been giving up plenty of snapper, as well, and many have reported docks and the artificial reefs also are producing. Live shrimp is tops. Waders fishing off the beach at Picnic Island have been reporting some nice catches of trout. Anglers fishing the Ballast Point pier have reported taking a few snook and the occasional redfish.
Clearwater Bait & Tackle (727-669-5455): Anglers fishing along the Courtney Campbell Causeway have been reporting some nice catches of trout on live shrimp. The Causeway bridge pilings have been a good place to find mangrove snapper and sheepshead. A couple of reports came in of tripletail around channel markers and there was a report of a cobia taken above the Causeway.
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