Thunderstorms likely. High 89F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..
Mostly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low 76F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Updated: June 15, 2024 @ 1:52 pm
These pompano are scored and roasting over hot coals. They were caught on a trip with Capt. Chuck Rogers, who has been using Doc’s Goofy Jigs to take them under the Gandy Bridge.
Capt. Chuck has been hosting clients like Paul Harrison, seen here with pompano taken under the Gandy Bridge. He’s been landing some mangrove snapper there, as well. The pompano are taking yellow Doc’s Goofy Jigs, while live sardines have been working best for the snapper.

These pompano are scored and roasting over hot coals. They were caught on a trip with Capt. Chuck Rogers, who has been using Doc’s Goofy Jigs to take them under the Gandy Bridge.
Capt. Chuck has been hosting clients like Paul Harrison, seen here with pompano taken under the Gandy Bridge. He’s been landing some mangrove snapper there, as well. The pompano are taking yellow Doc’s Goofy Jigs, while live sardines have been working best for the snapper.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck has been fishing in the shade of the Gandy Bridge, staying out of the heat and scoring some nice mangrove snapper and pompano. The snapper are around the pilings and taking small, live sardines, with fish between 12 and 17 inches landed, with the odd snapper a bit larger. The pompano are around the pilings, as well, and taking yellow Doc’s Goofy Jigs bounced along the bottom. The grass flats below the Gandy have been giving up some trout to 19 inches, with jigs or live sardines producing well. Most of the fish have been around the drop-offs at the edges of flats in 6 feet of water. Look for Spanish mackerel feeding on small baitfish in open water. Capt. Chuck hasn’t been looking for reds or snook, as a lot of time can be burned up hunting for them now. He has received word from a couple of sources that some larger schools of reds are being seen here and there in the bay, but he thinks the water temperature is going to have to drop a few degrees before the fish fall into a reliable feeding pattern.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Jacob reports getting offshore, where the yellowtail snapper bite has been great. He fished between 80 and 100 feet of water, with anglers on the boat taking fish to 22 inches, along with a few mangrove and mutton snapper. He said the yellowtails were so thick it was hard to go anywhere without finding them. Others have been reporting the snapper are spread out in that depth range from Clearwater to west of Egmont. The offshore wrecks are holding some good numbers of permit. Inshore, it appears some of the snook that have been on the beaches and gulf passes are beginning to move up into the bay as the spawning season wanes. A few have been hooked by anglers fishing north and south of the Howard Frankland Bridge. The redfish bite has picked up a little, though many of the fish caught have been undersized or just large enough to keep. They are hanging in the shade of mangroves and taking cut pinfish best. Some trout are being taken on grass flats above and below the Gandy Bridge. Anglers have been using Z-Man soft plastic minnows cut down to about 2-inches long to entice them, as they better match the size of the baitfish prevalent in the bay right now. Though the action is slowing down, there still are some big tarpon in the bay, with anglers fishing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge tangling with fish up to 120 pounds.
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Bill says the mangrove snapper bite remains strong in the bay, and may be the best thing going right now. Anglers are finding them under the bay bridges, around dock pilings, submerged rock piles and artificial reefs. Live shrimp are working, but some anglers have been netting the small scaled sardines that are around right now, the minnows just the right size for snapper. They are working live or cut into chunks. A few have encountered cobia around range markers and other structure. A few trout have been taken over grass bottom flats by anglers using jigs or live shrimp.
Clearwater Bait & Tackle (727-669-5455): Brandon reports anglers have been picking up some black drum under the Bayside Bridge. They are not picky eaters and will take shrimp and cut bait, but a piece of blue crab is the ultimate bait. The hot weather has meant far fewer anglers stopping in the shop, and he notes that some are getting away from the very hot water of the bay and heading over the Clearwater to fish the grass beds around Sand Key and in Clearwater Bay for trout.
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