By Neil Taylor, www.strikethreekayakfishing.com
Not much has changed. A tropical storm moved the fish around some but the action has remained very good on the south shore.
Mackerel are deep. Sheepshead are fewer and fewer but still on the rocks. Flounder are there but not like they were the past three years. There are a lot of sharks. What has been absent, ladyfish and jacks. People like to catch them. I enjoy jack/ladyfish free days. To me: Time wasted that could be spent fishing for other species.
Trout action has been good but only extremely early. We have been starting trips at 6AM. The action is best in that pre-dawn time frame until about 8AM. The 12 Fathom SlamR is #1; any Mirrolure topwater is #2. Pretty rare to catch a super-large trout this time of year, we have been into a lot of upper slot fish.
Redfish: There just aren’t any. Talking to other guides, it is literally a mystery. The fish of six months ago: Where did they go? It is a mystery almost throughout the region but to me: It has been an issue on the south shore for about three years.
Snook. If you want to catch one, this is the most likely location. Don’t expect any size. Snook remain a sore subject for most of the people I know. The recovery, stymied by an open season last fall: The slot fished out, those fish were our future and due to management decisions, it will be many more years before we approach 2009 levels. The few we have, subject to harvest, poaching and natural predation: I continue to not offer them as a charter species.
Flounder: They just never really took off. Will they come late? Will this just be a down year? Am I just doing it wrong? It is always possible that they are in in great numbers but just not where I am taking people. There could be other factors. The red tide has not shown up in the last two reports. Could red tide have blocked them from coming in?
Tarpon: The tropical storm really turned this tumbler. I was seeing big fish on the south shore just before that blow. I have not seen them since.
June 23 Kayak Fishing Skool
6:30 to 7:45PM Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure (Pinellas Park)
Nighttime fishing
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
Co-host: Capmel.com Radio, 8 to 9AM Sundays on 1040 “The Team”
- The Neil Blog… - July 26, 2023
- The Catfish - July 26, 2023
- update - July 22, 2023
