December 31, 2015

 

What’s happenin’ in the upper stretches of the Bay?

Better every day, we still need a cooldown to make the fishing exceptional all the way up the Bay.   But it is decent.   Redfish is #1.   Trout are getting a lot better.   Sheepshead became a great choice about a week ago and should be excellent between now and the beginning of February.

The water temperature is good but without any major cooldowns, the fish remain toward the front of the Bay.    Expect a major push of fish to the upper part of Tampa Bay with one or two more fronts.   Get out and try it.  There are some good fish up here.   But I would say we are just a couple of weeks from this area hitting peak.

See ya the next time around.    As always: Be careful out there!

More reports by Neil Taylor

Lower Tampa Bay report:    http://www.capmel.com/index.php/article/165
Capmel.com “The Kayak Report”:    http://www.capmel.com/index.php/article/198

Neil Taylor
Owner and guide:  www.strikethreekayakfishing.com
(Cell) 727-692-6345  LivelyBaits@aol.com
Owner and site administrator:  www.capmel.com
Co-host: Outdoor Fishing Adventures, 8 to 9AM Sundays on 1040 “The Team” ESPN Radio

Keep your eyes peeled and make a phone call:  Illegal activity is hurting your fishery.   The agency has some issues responding.   Protect what belongs to you.     Get these people to stop raping your resource and stealing from all of us.

Stay alert and make a difference:

Keep an eye out and make the phone calls.    Illegal nets found in Upper Tampa Bay have been confiscated thanks to the tips from citizens.    Working with the field staff, I personally know that they have a great response rate on the calls I make.    Too many people do not make the attempt because they did not get a response in the past.      Trust me, they do the best they can and they do respond as quickly as possible.

The great work of FWC officers to target felony netters and keep an eye on other recreational offenders has led to better fishing for us all.  Their continued efforts to catch felony netters are making the south shore region return as a great fishery again.   But help them out:  Keep your eyes peeled for illegal activity and make a call if you see poaching, 888-404-FWCC (3922).  Your tips will help make cases and you could be eligible for a reward.  If you see a poacher:  Make a phone call.

At the request of my contemporaries, “keeping the message alive”:    If you catch a snook:  don’t take it out of the water for eight minutes taking pictures.    Don’t “get a weight” of the fish.    Enjoy the species if you cross paths, but take extra steps to make sure those fish remain in the living population.     A huge contingency of the best respected fishing guides on the Gulf coast opposed their decision to reopen to harvest, made sincere pleads over and over to get the decision reversed but were ignored.  Do your part and try to give this species a chance to return to prominence regardless of their faulty data and poor decision making.  A released snook not harvested preserves the future of our species, one that could face stresses like algae blooms and another freeze.

Neil Taylor
Latest posts by Neil Taylor (see all)

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR