Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable..
Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: May 16, 2024 @ 11:08 pm
Charlie Cook hefts a big wahoo for the camera. The fish was taken 30 miles out in the gulf off of Tampa Bay.
This jumbo Spanish mackerel was taken on a recent trip with Capt. George Hastick. Capt. George has been finding schools of big mackerel as far into the bay as the Howard Frankland Bridge, with fish to 26 inches common.
Charlie Cook hefts a big wahoo for the camera. The fish was taken 30 miles out in the gulf off of Tampa Bay.
This jumbo Spanish mackerel was taken on a recent trip with Capt. George Hastick. Capt. George has been finding schools of big mackerel as far into the bay as the Howard Frankland Bridge, with fish to 26 inches common.
Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck says the mangrove snapper fishing is picking up around bridge pilings and other structure. The average size of fish is increasing, and shrimp has been the best bait. Trout have been hanging in 4 to 5 feet of water, with the bigger fish around the drop-offs into deeper water. Live sardines have been a good bait. Spanish mackerel schools are working the bay from the Skyway Bridge to the Gandy Bridge area, though they are moving. The best bet is to chum, though when a school moves in, four or five fish might be caught before the school moves away. Reds are in the shade of mangroves when the water is high. A few smaller male snook will be in the same spots. Both are taking live sardines, which have been easy to find on the flats in the Gandy area early in the day. Working around Tarpon Key, Capt. Chuck found some reds hanging in potholes, though they were easy to spook. Some offshore fishing buddies report that big cobia have been around the can markers in the gulf off the bay, with some nice catches from 50 feet of water.
Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George has been finding some fair trout action on grass flats in 4 feet of water along the Pinellas side of the bay from Pinellas Point north to the Weedon Island area. Fish have been running 13 to 15 inches, but for fish to 19 inches, look for shell bottom in 7 feet of water or more. Live sardines have been taking the bigger fish, with jigs with soft plastic tails also producing. Spanish mackerel have moved well into the bay, and schools have been working in as far as the Howard Frankland Bridge. Chumming with cut sardines or threadfish gets the bit going, with live sardines or spoons getting the bites. The better redfish action has been on the east side of the bay up to above the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Fish are tight to the mangroves on high water. Snook are around the mangroves, as well, but the bight is slow unless the current is running pretty hard.
Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Zack says he’s getting more reports of cobia, with anglers finding fish around bay markers and bridges. There also have been some keepers taken on the open flats around the Gandy Bridge area north to Cypress Point. Some big tarpon are running the light lines of the bay bridges, with the Gandy and the Bayside bridges producing some hook-ups on live bait. Trout have been on grass and patchy sand bottom in 6 feet of water and deeper. The edges that drop into deeper water have been holding the bigger fish. Some fair numbers of keeper-sized mangrove snapper are being taken from the bay ship channels. They are under the bridges, as well, but those fish are running smaller. Spanish mackerel have been schooling from the mouth of the bay to around the Gandy area. Look for reds at Weedon and Picnic islands. The numbers have not been great, so anglers will have to put in some time hunting for them.
Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Jacob got out and explored the Pinellas side of the bay from St. Pete to the Skyway Bridge area, spending about 8 hours on the water. Overall, he wasn’t impressed by what he found. When the sun was high, he noted the redfish he found were in the bottom of holes 4 to 5 feet deep trying to stay cool, some of them in the area of the Vinoy. When the water is high, setting out a piece of ladyfish or threadfin shad on the bottom under the shade of mangroves may be a winning tactic for the reds. The grass flats off the Vinoy also were holding some trout, and while most have been on the small side, there are some big fish. He spotted one with a tail the size of his hand that at first looked like a redfish. He also noted a lot of sharks along the way. For tarpon, the Skyway Bridge is a good bet. Anglers fishing in the gulf just off the mouth of the bay have been finding kingfish. Some have reported that they can’t fish Sabiki rigs about the first can marker for bait without hooking kings.
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