It is into middle of June: Will we be getting tropical weather? There are two systems out there to watch, very least we should see a lot of rain either way. We have had heavy rains 8 of the last 9 days now. I like the rain. For fishing, I believe the rain to also be beneficial rather than hurtful. If nothing else, cloud cover and the rain itself will help to cool the Bay water temperatures. Cooler water equals better fishing.
Back in the shallows, some great action and also some challenges. Honeymoon Island? Forget it. I won’t go there again until at least December. And even then: Might not go there. The county, then the governor: They screwed up that ecosystem so bad it is the worst I have seen fishing action in my 24 years here. Pretty sad. All so the tourists can walk on sand for a couple of days before the storms wash it out? It isn’t going to get better. They just got another $30 million to put into these failure projects.
In general: Redfish have become one of the biggest mysteries of the year. Notoriously the easiest time of the year to find and catch redfish, May was difficult and lots of people comparing notes have come to the conclusion that they must be relocated or in hiding.
Trout action went very stale during their annual spawn but they are back to normal again. The shift on trout action is going to be a nighttime game for best opportunities. The water temperatures are going up fast and they will stay hot until October. The best action will always be at low light conditions for nearly all species but don’t ignore the Zero Light opportunities either. I take night trips and teach nighttime fishing skills and safety. Trout were a pretty good target for Julie and Nick, visiting from London, England. Julia caught a nice shark on a 12 Fathom lure as well!
Back on the bridges, pompano are not as easy as I hope they will be. Although we are catching a few, last year it was July and August when we were catching pompano easily. That could change at any time. It is quite simply “that time of year.” Drum are more consistent. Pompano if they are on the bridges, I haven’t heard about it yet. We have had a 25 pompano trip but it wasn’t at any bridge.
Flounder just hasn’t gotten in full gear here this year. We can catch “some” but we haven’t had any huge flounder days yet.
Kayak Fishing Skool for June 22: Summer Heat: Game Plan/Nighttime Kayak Fishing. These seminars are on the fourth Thursday of every month at my sponsor store: Bill Jackson Shop For Adventure, Pinellas Park 6:30-7:45 PM
From Three Years Ago
“Fun in the sun for Charlie, Beth and Carol Anne: Charlie, my dentist is a tarpon junkie. I took he and his wife Beth out earlier in the spring and then also Carol Anne to throw some lures to trout and flounder. This time, we went to work the bridge for pompano and black drum. The success is in the photos. The backstory: Carol Anne had the toughest opportunities and got broken off her first few attempts. Charlie and Beth successfully got fish away from the barnacle lined pilings early on. Carol Anne, once she got the experience, got her fish out to open water. Take a look:
For Charlie and Beth: A week away from the office. For Carol Anne, well, she was cutting class. “
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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- The Neil Blog… - July 26, 2023
- The Catfish - July 26, 2023
- update - July 22, 2023
