With the winter air and water temperatures, still around it looks like fishing the reefs, Rock piles, and residential docks might be your best bet. I would also look for warmer water on the flats during the day. You might want to change your times to fish like mid-morning or later in the afternoon or if you like to fish during the evenings look around the bay area bridges and dock lights for some great fishing.
With the water temperature, still around the mid 60-degree mark in the mid-morning the Snapper and Sheephead bite has been good on the bay area reefs and channel edges. When the is getting up a little higher in the sky the Redfish are moving around in that 1 to 2 foot of depth on the flat laying in the potholes. As the tide slows down, I start heading to the bay area bridges like the Skyway or the artificial reefs and anchor up and change up gear and start fishing the bridge pilings or the rock piles with shrimp on a jig head or a knocker rig. I fish for Mango Snappers, Sheephead, and Grouper, and a lot more types of fish you can catch in Tampa bay area. In the late afternoon, I like to fish the mangrove shore line with jerk baits and suspending baits for Snook. As the fish move under the mangroves to get in the shade to ambush baits. The best part of it you can use your flats rods to do it all. All you just need to do is change hooks and leader size depending on where you want to go fishing at.
Capt Jim Lemke charters out of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater and can be reached at (813) 917-4989 and at captjimlemke@gmail.com
- Jay Mastry - March 26, 2024
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