Captain’s Corner: Tyson Wallerstein

The Tampa Bay Times

The inshore fishing has remained good overall with water temperatures holding around 70 degrees. Trout and sheepshead are schooling up and depending on the time of day and tide can be caught in good numbers.  

Trout are top targets as many of the adult trout that make our region such a quality trout fishery have moved into the shallows and can be taken on both live bait and artificial lures. Spoils islands and flats directly adjacent to deep water are perennial trout hot spots. Probe these areas with a soft plastic jig, specifically concentrating on the roll- offs. Live select shrimp work great for trout once the schools are located.  

Sheepshead thrive in the cooler water, finding a big school of sheepshead holding around a bridge piling or dock can not only yield some tasty filets but will often keep you out of the wind. Small hooks are a must for sheepshead as is a rod sensitive enough to feel the subtle bite. Pieces of fresh shrimp is the most common bait for sheepshead primarily out of convenience. Other baits would include fresh barnacles scraped from the piling or structure you are fishing, sand fleas and fiddler crabs.  

Tripletail can be found nosing up to crab trap buoys all along the beaches right now. The first calm days after a cold front passes are the best for spotting any triple tail that went adrift during the cold front. Live shrimp fished a couple feet under a float works great, however tripletail will also strike soft-plastic jigs and artificial shrimp.  
Capt. Tyson WallersteinFlats Monster Inshore Fishing
(727) 692-5868
capt.tyson@hotmail.com
www.Flatsmonster.com