Early morning and moving water will offer some great fly fishing opportunities during this tough time of year. Most bridges are loaded with baitfish as well as crabs. Predators like baby tarpon, jacks, snook, red and black drum and pompano have never been in larger numbers in these locations. Tarpon can be seen rolling and usually will give you a location where they are concentrated. Snook will make a telltale pop or scatter baitfish as they feed. Have one 8-9 weight rod rigged with a white surface popper and a floating line. The second rod should have a clear sinking tip and a baitfish imitation similar in size to what you see in the water. Both should have 30-40 pound shock tippets to prevent break-offs and give you some authority to keep hooked fish away from barnacle-encrusted abutments. If fish aren’t sighted, cast to abutments allowing the current to swing your offerings to the fish’s anticipated location. They will be close to the structure. Anchoring limits your ability to not only cover more water but also to get larger hooked fish into open water to level the playing field. This is where an electric motor is invaluable. As the sun comes up, the bridge will also offer shade to keep you and the fish cool.
Fly fisherman Pat Damico charters Fly Guy in lower Tampa Bay and can be reached at captpatdamico.com and (727) 504-8649.
- Captain’s Corner:Pat Damico - June 25, 2019
- Flat water makes seeing tarpon easier - May 17, 2017
- Warm rivers holding plenty of targets for fly fishermen - February 16, 2017
