Captain’s Corner: Mike Gore

With the water temperature starting to climb, the mid-week cold front will help keep the water at a perfect temperature.  It was just what we needed to keep things in balance. Bait continues to be solid at the Skyway Piers and has been pretty easy to get.  

March is usually the turning point where the Snook make their way out of the winter holes but this has happened early this year. Snook are everywhere right now and if you are lucky enough to have scaled sardines, they are easy to catch. Once the schools of scaled sardines become big enough on the flats, the Snook will stay in these locations.

If Redfish is your targeted species, then plan on fishing upper Tampa Bay. There are a few big schools of over slot fishing running around. Live and cut bait are working just about the same on these fish.

Big Spanish Mackerel are starting to follow the bait in from the Gulf. Fishing the passes on an incoming tide will give you non-stop action. I have heard some nice King Mackerel are already being caught about 15 miles offshore and it won’t be long before they start moving closer in. 

Trout fishing continues to be amazing and it might just hit its peak this month. The bigger

size, usually females, are in spawn and will eat anything in sight. Please handle these bigger fish with care. New Regulations have started: Feb. 22-May 10, recreational anglers will no longer be able to harvest spotted seatrout over 20 inches total length when fishing in state or federal waters.