What’s happenin’ in the upper stretches of Tampa Bay?

Things are getting more and more interesting with “slightly” cooler weather.   Honestly, things would get A LOT better if it wasn’t still so close to 90 degrees.  Nonetheless, trips to the upper areas of the Bay have been decent.   Pompano came back to the bridge pilings after a month long “dissapearo” act.  Not as wild as July action, if you put your time in, they are there to be caught.  

Jacks and ladyfish reamain EASY targets.     Toss in spanish mackerel and even some bluefish wandering way up the Bay and there are a lot of speedsters to tangle with in the upper part of the estuary.  

Expect this to be the month where action up here finally improves.   The start of winter means more fish swimming up the Bay.     How good will it get?   We will see.   Let it be cold!

Later in the winter:  Big trout on the oyster beds.     Redfish?   I’m just not very optimistic  

On the water: 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.  If you see a poacher:  Make a phone call.

As always: Be careful out there!

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

At the request of my contemporaries, “keeping the message alive”:    If you catch a snook:  don’t take it out of the water for eight minutes taking pictures.    Don’t “get a weight” of the fish.    Enjoy the species if you cross paths, but take extra steps to make sure those fish remain in the living population.     A huge contingency of the best respected fishing guides on the Gulf coast opposed their decision to reopen to harvest, made sincere pleads over and over to get the decision reversed but were ignored.  Do your part and try to give this species a chance to return to prominence regardless of their faulty data and poor decision making. 

Neil Taylor
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