By Neil Taylor, www.strikethreekayakfishing.com

The lower Bay just continues to have fantastic opportunities.    A great variety but just honestly, always going to catch fish in this part of Tampa Bay!  Can we keep the red tide out of here??     It is right around the corner from the south shore.   It would be a catastrophe.

Lower Tampa Bay has been awesome for flounder, trout and finally also some redfish.     Normally a great area to catch snook, the ones that are there are juvenile and probably best to leave these fish alone.    The future of snook, uncertain due to management decisions, educate yourself on better fish handling and accidentally kill fewer snook.     The brutality of it all, an executive director that is bold enough to state “our scientists were right.”    Look for the article publishing with statements from hundreds of people who state the opposite.

The same as before:  Flounder are being caught but it is not a great year for them.    A lot of 13 to 15-inch fish with the occasional beast around 20 inches are very “reliable” as far as targeting of a species goes.   I use the 12 Fathom SlamR in basically any and all colors they make.   Rigged on a 1/8 ounce jighead, the flounder will thump this lure when it passes by their funny looking faces.    Flounder frustration:  So many will drop the lure during the fight, just go back to fishing and accept it that no matter what you do, you “won’t win them all.”

Redfish action has really improved in a lot of places around the Bay and it finally caught up here.   The12 Fathom “Redfish” Mullet has been fantastic on this species.    Make long casts in water that is about two feet deep.  If you don’t see any baitfish, move on until you are hooking or spooking out fish.   If you are not where there is bait, you may not be in on the action.    The south shore shallows are loaded with baitfish.

Speckled trout action will explode with the cooling waters that October brings.   The action has been decent.   The massive number of trout in this fishery will become very evident with a drop in water temperature.   The amount of lower slot fish this past spring should mean that the fishing for bigger trout should be really easy this winter.   Just ahead?  Wacky good action for speckled trout.

Spanish mackerel action is already good around the south shore area.   The drop-offs off the edges of the flats near the open areas of Tampa Bay will have jacks, ladyfish and mackerel if the baitfish is there.    The pompano jig/teaser will catch these fish.  The kingfish migration may also create opportunities for this species toward the Skyway pier. Want to know what’s going on off the Skyway piers?    To get detailed reports, check Paul Bristow’s Skyway Report on capmel.com.   Written every week, he keeps you on the heartbeat of the Skyway bite.  Get out and enjoy the easy action on the Skyway Piers!

In a battle that is never really over: The great work of FWC officers to target felony netters and keep an eye on other recreational offenders has led to better fishing for us all.  Their continued efforts to catch felony netters are making the south shore region return as a great fishery again.   But help them out:  Keep your eyes peeled for illegal activity and make a call if you see poaching, 888-404-FWCC (3922).  Your tips will help make cases and you could be eligible for a reward.  The fishery survives the pressure of poaching, a lot of anglers and just continues to be a great location to go.

As always: Be careful out there!

Kayak Fishing Skool is Thursday October 27 at Bill Jackson’s in Pinellas Park (6:30 to 7:45PM) and the topic is “Fishing the Winter Months.”   Bring a friend and enjoy the free raffle at the end of the session.   This is the final session of Bill Jackson’s “Skool” in 2016.   Skool will resume again in January.

 

Neil Taylor
www.strikethreekayakfishing.com
(Cell) 727-692-6345
LivelyBaits@aol.com

Neil Taylor
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