Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible. High 89F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..
A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 76F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph.
Updated: June 19, 2024 @ 12:10 pm
Capt. Chuck Rogers displays a redfish a customer landed on a recent charter with him. The reds have been hanging along the mangroves on the Pinellas and Hillsborough sides of the bay, with live sardines a good bait choice.
Capt. Chuck Rogers displays a redfish a customer landed on a recent charter with him. The reds have been hanging along the mangroves on the Pinellas and Hillsborough sides of the bay, with live sardines a good bait choice.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck says bay water temperature is close to 80 degrees and there’s some good fishing right now. Schools of Spanish mackerel are popping up in the middle of the bay below the Gandy Bridge, feeding on schools of threadfin shad. They’ll take about anything you throw at them. Trout fishing is pretty good on the grass flats south of Picnic Island. Look for them in 6 feet of water. Live sardines or jigs will take them. Reds have been pushing up under mangrove overhangs on both sides of the bay above and below the Gandy Bridge when the water is up. Capt. Chuck says he hasn’t been finding schools, but rather singles and doubles and the occasional small pod of fish. Most have been slot-sized, with live sardines his bait of choice. His anglers are picking up a few small snook in the same spots. There are plenty of sharks around.
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George is putting his customers on some smaller, male snook around flooded mangroves on the Pinellas side of the bay below and above the Gandy Bridge. He’s finding a few hanging away from the mangroves on the shallow flats, so he advises fishing your way in rather than running over the fish and spooking them. Live sardines are working best. The reds are there with them, scattered and taking live sardines or cut pinfish. Get as close to the mangroves as you can with the bait. Mackerel schools are in the open bay off St. Pete and up to the Gandy area. Capt. George is also finding some schools of bluefish in the same area. Trout seem to like hard and shell bottom in 6 feet of water with some grass patches. Fish to 20 inches have been common, with live scaled sardines of jigs with soft-plastic tails working. He’s finding trout in 4 feet of water over thick grass, but they have been smaller, between 13 and 16 inches at most. He hasn’t been fishing for them, but tarpon to 100 pounds are being hooked along the Skyway Bridge.
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Zack says schools of scaled sardines are under the bay bridges during the day, and on the shallow grass flats around sunrise. Snook and reds are being taken around mangrove lines when the water is high enough. As the tide drops, look for them to be falling out to the deeper flats. The mangrove snapper are on bridge and dock pilings, and anglers are reporting more keeper-sized fish being landed. Live shrimp is tops. Tarpon are showing up in greater numbers, running the light lines under the bay bridges. The Bayside Bridge has been where a few have been hooked. Trout fishing has been pretty good, but as the bay water is relatively warm, anglers will find more quality fish in cooler water of 6 to 8 feet around grass. Shrimp and jigs with soft-plastic tails have been the top producers.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Billy reports that his customers are seeing a lot of tarpon in the bay. Lots of small bull sharks are around, as well, with reports of them in Riviera Bay and Coffee Pot Bayou. Trout fishing has been good on grass bottom off St. Pete and Coffee Pot and the deeper, open waters of the bay are where anglers are finding schools of Spanish mackerel. Some schools of big jacks also have been reported.
Angler 360 (727-669-5455): Keith reports customers working docks and bridge pilings on the Courtney Campbell Causeway are doing well with sheepshead. Fiddler crabs and shrimp work best. A few black drum are being taken along with them. Trout fishing on the grass bottom above and below the causeway has been pretty good, though anglers are weeding out a lot of short fish. Redfish action has been just OK. Anglers fishing around the creek mouths at the top of the bay have been doing best. Spanish mackerel have been schooling off the St. Pete Pier.
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