The Tampa Bay Times
Finally some cooler and dryer weather has moved in and the fish are responding. Bait is still very plentiful in the north Pinellas area. Snook have really turned on and are congregating around the points of the passes and just around the corner to the interior of the barrier islands. They are on the way eastward towards their transitional spots prior to winter. Small sardines are getting the most attention, as most of the bait moving around on the inside is a bit smaller. Matching the hatch is very important. Sometimes snook will only attack baits that are very similar to what is available in the area. Other fish are also very particular to sizes of bait. Migrating schools of bonito off shore within 2 to 3 miles are only eating tiny, hatchling baits and avoiding larger baits. Frustrated anglers should pay attention to the notion of matching the size of bait in the area. Cooler weather ushers in lots of options. Mackerel are also schooling around the local reefs feeding on schools of sardines and threadfin herring. Kingfish are typically not far behind after the mackerel show up in numbers. For inshore anglers, redfish are starting to increase in numbers between Clearwater and Tarpon Springs. Large mullet schools have been the target as redfish tend to hide within the school for safety. Also, mullet will scare up small baitfish out of the grass as they feed an algae, allowing redfish to forage on easy meals as they swim along with the school. When deciding on how to fish an unfamiliar flat, finding mullet schools is always the best bet.
- Captains Corner - March 23, 2024
- Brian Caudill - March 4, 2024
- Brian Caudill - December 5, 2023
