Cloudy. High 78F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..
Mostly cloudy. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: March 16, 2024 @ 10:24 am

Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George has been doing well on trout fishing the flats and shell bars if 5 to 7 feet of water below the Gandy Bridge. They are taking jigs with plastic tails and live shrimp. He notes that there have been a lot of slot-sized fish of late, with few undersized fish to contend with. Docks along the Pinellas side of the bay in the same region have been producing some nice sheepshead and a few redfish. Live shrimp is working, but if you can find fiddler crabs, they are working best for the sheepshead. Sea bass have been a good bet on submerged rocks in 8 to 10 feet of water. They have been eating about anything, from shrimp and cut bait to artificials. A lot of the redfish he’s been hooking have been on the small side. The bay water is very clear right now, so it may pay off to downsize leaders to ensure the fish can’t see them as easily. Fluorocarbon leader is more costly than monofilament, but is nearly invisible in the water and can increase the number of strikes significantly.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck reports the trout and sheepshead have been the best thing going. The trout have been on the shallow grass flats and around sand and shell bars mid-bay. Shrimp and jigs with soft plastic tails will take them. The sheepshead are on all types of structure, including docks, rocks and bridge pilings. Fiddler crabs are the best bait, but finding them at bait shops is very hit-or-miss at this time of year. He hasn’t fished around the Skyway, but a couple of fishing buddies have and report good numbers of trout and some reds off the west end of the Skyway approach. They are saying a lot of the trout have been small, as are the reds they’ve been getting in that area. Scouting the bay recently, Chuck noted that the water in creeks and some canals is a couple of degrees warmer than the open bay. He’s heard from sources that Rocky and Double Branch creeks at the top of the bay have been warmer havens for reds, just be sure to move in with the rising water and get out before it drops and leaves you stranded. Offshore, fishing has been pretty good. Lots of keeper-sized gags are being landed, though they are out of season. Red grouper, margates, big grunts and mangrove snapper and hogfish have been the main catches anglers can keep.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Billy says his anglers have been doing pretty well on trout and redfish around Weedon Island. The trout are on the grass flats, with fair numbers of keeper fish biting on shrimp and lures. The reds are mixed in with them, up close to the mangroves when the water is high. Schools of jacks have been running in the same part of the bay, with some monsters landed in recent days.
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Zack reports customers have been catching good numbers of flounder over the past week. Most have been coming from sandy bottom patches off Weedon Island. They will take jigs, and tipped with shrimp they will draw more strikes. There have been a few reds taken around Weedon, as well. The snook have pushed well up into creeks, residential canals and the rivers looking for warmth. Sheepshead fishing remains very good, with lots of nice fish being taken off dock and bridge pilings, submerged rock beds and around jetties. Trout fishing has been decent, with keeper fish on the grass beds in 4 to 6 feet of water.
Angler 360 (727-669-5455): Steven reports anglers at the top of the bay have been fishing the bridges on the Courtney Campbell Causeway for sheepshead. A few have done well fishing dock pilings. Sheepshead hang around the pilings on the bottom and will take shrimp and fiddler crabs best. A few have been taking some trout on the grass bottom above the causeway up to Safety Harbor. For reds, look to the upper-bay creeks, including Rocky and Double Branch. Live shrimp or fresh cut bait will take them.
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