Captain’s Corner: Rob Gorta

The Tampa Bay Times

Water temperatures have started to climb into mid 70’s on the flats. The temperatures have been fluctuating with the last few colds fronts moving thru. Large schools of Reds should start showing up on the flats in the Pinellas point area.  Look for them in the usual haunts.  So far, I have only run into one school in the Fort Desoto area.  Threadfins and scaled sardines are starting to show up around the skyway bridge and they should start migrating onto the grass flats with the water temps rising. Trout fishing in some areas has been producing a few fish, while other spots have been producing larger fish.  Arrange a drift in water 3 to 4 feet over grass flats and work the edge.  The difference from the sand to the grass has been holding these smaller speckled trout.  These fish are providing a lot of action and are producing fair numbers of fish.  Larger gator trout have been holding in deeper sand holes on shallower grass flats.  These are areas that I have learned over the years, which takes time on the water to figure out the local area grass flats. On one recent charter, one school of Back Drum was found roaming the flats around Pinellas Point. They have been following sand bars on the lower tides levels.  Fish that have been caught have weighed over forty pounds.  Drum like crustaceans, so shrimp imitation jigs have drawn a few strikes. 

Captain Rob Gorta

727-647-7606

www.captainrobgorta.com