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The Tampa Bay Fishin’ Report: Bridges are hot spots for snook – Tampa Beacon

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 76F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph..
Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 76F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: June 19, 2024 @ 9:34 pm
This happy angler shows off a nice Tampa Bay trout taken on charter with Capt. George Hastick. Capt. George said he’s finding trout all along the Pinellas side of the bay on grass flats in 6 feet of water. There have been a lot of short fish, but also plenty between 17 and 20 inches.

This happy angler shows off a nice Tampa Bay trout taken on charter with Capt. George Hastick. Capt. George said he’s finding trout all along the Pinellas side of the bay on grass flats in 6 feet of water. There have been a lot of short fish, but also plenty between 17 and 20 inches.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck has been putting his anglers on snook along the Hillsborough side of the bay from the Gandy area to the Howard Frankland Bridge. Live sardines around mangroves on moving water have been getting it done. The fish have been smaller males, but there have been plenty of them. The redfish are mingling with them, hanging in the shade of the mangroves when the water is up. Capt. Chuck has heard from some of his sources that the best redfish action now has been at Coffee Pot Bayou. Trout fishing has been good on grass flats with sandy holes in 4 to 6 feet of water above and below the Gandy. Live sardines or jigs with white with a green tail Gotcha plastics are working well. Lots of short trout are taking the baits and the fish have not been concentrated, so drifting and casting the jigs is more productive. Some Spanish mackerel are around, though they are so scattered the best way to fish them is to anchor and hang a chum block over the side to attract them. Lots of scaled sardine schools are on the shallow flats in the early morning. Bay water is fairly clear, but with the warming, plankton growth is starting.
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George has been working the Pinellas side of the bay from St. Pete to above the Gandy Bridge, finding plenty of small snook around the mangroves. A big fish comes along now and then, but most have been small males. Live sardines fished when the water is moving gets them. Trout fishing has been pretty good on grass flats in 6 feet of water from Fort De Soto north to the Gandy Bridge. Live sardines or jigs with Saltwater Assassin tails in the Opening Night color with a chartreuse tail have been a good choice for fish up to 20 inches. Look for cobia on the bay markers and tripods, as well as the drop-offs into 7 or 8 feet of water on shallow grass flats. He has not been fishing them, but fellow captains are reporting great action on tarpon. The beaches from Anna Maria north to Dunedin have been giving up some big fish. Live pass crabs have been the top bait, though live threadfins also are working. There are plenty being hooked under the Skyway Bridge, as well.
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Zack says the bay bridges have been hotspots. Anglers are connecting with snook early in the day and evening on the Gandy and Howard Frankland. The tarpon are there at night, as well, and there are some big ones. Schools of jacks are working up and down the bridges, along with some Spanish mackerel. Those fishing the bridge pilings with shrimp have been reporting some bigger mangrove snapper over the past week or so. A lot of markers in the bay are holding bait, and that’s been attracting tripletail and some cobia. Anglers fishing the mangrove lines on both sides of the bay from the Gandy Bridge north have been finding snook and some reds. The reds have been trailing mullet schools, so keep an eye out for leaping mullet. Live shrimp or scaled sardines are working well.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Jacob reports that anglers have been soaking chunks of fresh cut bait around mangroves on high water and taking some nice redfish. It’s a waiting game, but the scent eventually attracts the fish. There are some small snook in the same areas, but the big ones are on the beaches and in the passes for the spawn. There have been some cobia on the flats off North Shore Park, just south of Snell Isle. Some reports of flounder have come in from anglers fishing sandy bottom on the flats around the north end of the Skyway Bridge. Trout have move to the deeper grass flats to stay cool, and it’s the only place to find them in the middle of the day.
Angler 360 (727-669-5455): Keith said a lot of his customers have been tarpon fishing, working the Pinellas beaches up to Honeymoon and Caladesi islands. Inshore at the top of the bay, anglers have been taking some black drum off the Courtney Campbell Causeway bridge, along with mangrove snapper. Trout have been on the grass in 5 to 8 feet of water above the causeway and the redfish action has been decent in the mangroves and around the creek mouths there.
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