By Neil Taylor, www.strikethreekayakfishing.com

The baitfish arrival.    Long overdue and interestingly random, the “April” scenario is here now.  Sadly, the baitfish rolled in this week, almost July?   Peculiarities:  What happened to battling through ladyfish and jacks to catch anything else?    Hooking one of those species so rare I feel blessed.   But still mystified.   Pretty easy:  Lots of bait, both of these species should be pretty easy to find.

The fishing has been pretty good overall, something that is fairly standard for the south shore.   Redfish have been decent.    Accidental snook are not great but regular (if they were that good we would be catching 20 a day, not 20 so far this year).  Lost a great deal of them in the January freeze.    Another setback.   It is still in a situation where the recovery is a long way off.   The other guides, bummed about snook.     Any of us that were around before 2010 know just how bad it is now.

Flounder just haven’t been in good for two straight years.     We have caught very few.    Two years ago we had 50 flounder days.     A natural variation?     It would be great to have them back again.

Trout:   Oddly, went berserk for a couple of weeks then “where did they go?”   Not in pattern for several years, they are hit or miss but certainly a target.   They are OK but they will get a lot better when it gets to Fall.     Going back north to the Fort Desoto area is a better choice if you want to find big trout.      Lower Tampa Bay, you can get them but it is more difficult.

Pompano and mackerel:  Available at the Skyway piers (read on).    We had 30 pompano days for a full ten days.   Very good action.   The size of the fish OK, they should continue to get bigger as summer wears on.   Summer:   It’s hot.   I’m soaked in sweat at 5:30AM.    The shower when I get home is the most enjoyable time of the day.

To get detailed reports, check The Skyway Report on capmel.com.   Written by Paul Bristow every week, he keeps you on the heartbeat of the Skyway bite.  Get out and enjoy the easy action on the Skyway Piers!  Thank you Paul for dedicated, detailed reports EVERY SEVEN DAYS!

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!

Neil Taylor
Owner and guide:  www.strikethreekayakfishing.com
(Cell) 727-692-6345  LivelyBaits@aol.com
Owner and site administrator:  www.capmel.com

 

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