Captain’s Corner: Jim Lemke

The Tampa Bay Times

Capt Jim Lemke Times Correspondent

The water temperature dropping a few degrees and with cooler morning temperatures that means some hot fishing is around the corner in October. The Snook, Redfish, Trout and many more species are out roaming around the flats and the bay area artificial reefs.

The bay area reefs and wrecks are holding a lot of Mango Snapper, and some keeper Grouper this time of the year and over the next few months.  When you are bottom fishing these places, I like fishing the slower tide so I can use the smallest weight possible to get down to the bottom and start adding as the tide picks up.  I will also put out a flat line for some Mackerel and the stray smoker Kingfish up in the bay.

As you start moving up to the flats this month you find a lot of fry bait to nice sardines and that means the fish moving up on the flats to feed. In the 2 to 5 feet of water you will find the Trout feeding as you move into that 3 feet and above up to the mangroves you will find the Snook and Redfish feeding. In the fall I like the outgoing tide to about halfway up the incoming tide. It doesn’t madder if you are live baiting, cut baiting, or throwing artificials.

It doesn’t madder if you fish the flats or bottom fish the bay over the next few months should be some great fishing in our area.

Capt Jim Lemke charters out of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater and can be reached at (813) 917-4989 and at captjimlemke@gmail.com.