The Tampa Bay Times
Fishing along the main shore to the north in Pinellas County has been the most productive recently. The effects of red tide are definitely noticeable to the south. Any bait fish caught around the passes or inside the intercoastal waterway‘s have started to die within minutes of being caught, and there have been a lot more dead fish floating in the intercoastal waterway South of Dunedin. However, north towards Tarpon Springs has been fairly clear especially near the Anclote River and eastward. The red tide bloom tends to be patchy offshore, so fishing up to 7 miles out has produced a few mangrove snapper bites and a lot of other bottom dwelling fish such as grouper, seabass, and grunts. Live shrimp and cut pieces of squid are getting a lot of attention while fishing the hard bottom and reefs offshore. During my inshore fishing trips, pinfish caught in traps or purchased from the local tackle stores have been working best. Snook remain very plentiful on the beaches and haven’t yet seen any severe effects of the red tide so far. They have been eating pinfish and sardines if you can keep them alive. Artificial lures resembling sardines such as white jerk worms or white and green hard plastics have produced a few snook. Redfish are still around but very spread out. The higher tides have allowed for some good fishing along the mangroves and oyster bars, especially in the morning. Before the heat of the day increases the water temperatures to near 90°. Again, I’ve seen more fish along the main shore, north of Palm Harbor in recent days.
- Captains Corner - March 23, 2024
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