Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..
Mostly clear. Low around 75F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: May 17, 2024 @ 5:37 am
Capt Matt Cowden has been putting his anglers on a mix of trout, reds and snook, including his son, Taylan, who took this redfish on a fly rod and a fly he tied himself.

Capt Matt Cowden has been putting his anglers on a mix of trout, reds and snook, including his son, Taylan, who took this redfish on a fly rod and a fly he tied himself.
Capt. Josh Fritz (352-345-9304): Capt. Josh says the fishing is great inshore and offshore. The trout and reds are stacked up around outer points and islands, where a few snook also are gathering in the warmer water. Live sardines fished on the incoming tides has been working best. Offshore, sheepshead and mangrove snapper are biting well on live shrimp on rocky bottom, and a few nice hogfish are being hooked. A few cobia are being spotted and that action should heat up very soon. Capt. Josh also expects we’ll be getting reports of kingfish offshore very soon.
Capt. Matt Cowden (727-534-6603): Capt. Matt reports that the water is warm and the fishing is hot. About everything that swims is biting, with redfish and snook his primary catches over the past week. He’s had to work a little harder for them when the water isn’t moving, but sticking with it pays off. Live sardines have been his top fish-getter and the schools of baitfish are here. Though live bait is great, conditions are great for using artificials, as the fish are hungry and willing to chase down anything that moves. Capt. Matt’s son, Taylan, was on a trip with him last week and using a fly he tied himself, bagged a nice redfish. Lures for reds include jigs with soft-plastic tail. Soft-plastic jerk baits, gold spoons and topwater plugs.
Tarpon Trading Company (727-937-1488): Larry says the bite is going great at Fred Howard Park. His anglers are fishing along the causeway, at the causeway bridges and around the rock jetty off the beach. Some of the best action has been on trout, with several anglers returning to the shop for more live shrimp to keep fishing for them. Fish to 22 inches were landed. Some redfish were taken, as well, with the better action around the bridges, which is the likely place to hook up with a snook. Anglers also report a few big bull sharks cruising along the causeway. Spanish mackerel have moved into 8 to 10 feet of water west of the park beach, and all along the way to the south end of Anclote Key. Chumming is a good way to call the schools to you and put them in a feeding mood. The mackerel are here for the schools of scaled sardines, which are popping up everywhere now. Anglers fishing the spoils coming out of the Anclote River have been bagging a few nice redfish. It’s a matter of hopping between spoil banks, where a trout or two might be found hanging with them. Things have been slow at the Anclote power plant outfall, with anglers not reporting much but small mangrove snapper.
The Rusty Bucket (727-645-6598): Capt. Bill says there’s no better time to score an inshore grand slam — a tarpon, snook, redfish and trout. He put a father-and-son duo on all four on a recent trip, the tarpon being juveniles that gather in residential canals at this time of year. The water around Anclote Key has come alive with snook, reds and trout so it’s a price place to work right now. Sharks are starting to show up in more numbers, as are big rays, both signs that cobia will be here in good numbers soon. Baitfish schools have arrived in big numbers, as well, another sign that everything is right for inshore fishing. Offshore, there still are some fair numbers of big, spawning sheepshead on rocks and structure around the 30-foot depths. Hogfish and mangrove snapper are abundant around the same depth. The red grouper bite is deep, and the best catches have been coming from the Middle Grounds well offshore.
Cooper’s Bait & Tackle (727-868-8736): Bill says he’s getting more reports of Spanish mackerel, with some of the better action around the sand bar north of Anclote Key and in 9 feet of water west of Hudson. He got a report of a single kingfish landed, with no details about where or how deep. Warmer water has fish moving out of the Hudson canals to the outside rocks, points and around the mouths of canals opening into the Gulf. Trout fishing has been pretty good on the open grass flats. Use shrimp or jigs. Sheepshead and mangrove snapper fishing in the canals has been decent, though the fish have been on the small side.
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