“The first day of summer.” You could have fooled me: It’s felt like summer for a few weeks now. I do appreciate with every day I live here that this area has the best fishing Florida has to offer. It’s HOT. Get used to it. Life in these United States: If you are in Florida, make sure your air conditioners are all working.
On the whole: You want great fishing: Go right now! Fishing trips have been excellent and likely will remain excellent for a while. Average: One trip: 30 pompano. Another option 50 trout upper to over slot. Just excellent. Excellent.
Overcoming bad situations is part of the inshore fishing game. Sometimes it’s weather. Marauding dolphin. Tough tides. Floating weeds. But people? Yes, they can create the worst situations during an outing. We have had boats come right into locations where we were casting. Right in front of us. People know and don’t care. The clients got a giggle out of it. “Didn’t you see us here?” Then a lame reply. I would say “I guess we have to move because you can’t find a piece of water where no one else is fishing.” Disappointing. Leads to an article that will be coming up. Disappointing Human Behavior. On and off the water, people do some idiotic stuff.
Pompano are on the verge of being “easy” again. Good pompano fishing weeks back has steadied but any time now this action should be full swing and easy through August or September. As I stated in the last report: “Pompano, quite honestly, are probably the best of the best as far as a fish to eat from the waters of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Pompano, possibly our second most underutilized fish in the area. Just not a ton of people fish them. They are more exciting to catch. It is a different kind of fishing, negotiating cement pilings and deep jigging. But it is worth it.” If you want to learn pompano, let me know.
Black drum can be caught easily again using the same lure we put down to the pompano: The yellow Silly Willy with an Uncle Neil custom teaser. Instead of hooking ten of them, right now it is two or three per outing so they will continue to arrive in their summer locations but can already be targeted and caught. Remember: “Deep water with current, this is not an undertaking for the beginner. If you have not learned deep water reentry to a kayak, you need to. The bridge trips need to be done on days with lighter wind. You have to keep your eyes peeled for thunderstorms now no matter what time of day you go.
Redfish action has remained consistent. I wish it was the way it used to be. It is different.
Overall: Outstanding for “summer.” Trout on topwater lures: About as good as it gets. Pompano: They are on track for another outstanding summer. It is happening. It is good.
Kayak Fishing Skool is coming up on June 28: 8th Avenue Pub in Safety Harbor. The Academy is next. Dates to be announced soon.
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
- The Neil Blog… - July 26, 2023
- The Catfish - July 26, 2023
- update - July 22, 2023
