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

Heat.  Rain.    The combination, it translates to decent fishing.  Things will get better when Fall arrives.   It’s decent now but the window of opportunity is pretty tight.   Pompano, just not as good up this way as farther down the Bay.  Drum:  Very hit or miss compared to the past few years.   That should get better any time now.

Trout.  No.  Redfish, maybe.    I am still not wild about taking trips in this part of the Bay until another six weeks goes by.    There are always fish there.   Sometimes it is good for catching them, sometimes not. The action will get a lot more stable with the arrival of Fall.

When it gets here, it will be good.  Until then:  I’ll do some bridge trips and that will be just about it.   On the bridge trips, you have a 50/50 chance of hooking a cobia.

See ya the next time around.    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: Outdoor Fishing Adventures, 8 to 9AM Sundays on 1040 “The Team” ESPN Radio

Stay alert and make a difference:

Keep an eye out and make the phone calls.    Illegal nets found in Upper Tampa Bay have been confiscated thanks to the tips from citizens.    Working with the field staff, I personally know that they have a great response rate on the calls I make.    Too many people do not make the attempt because they did not get a response in the past.      Trust me, they do the best they can and they do respond as quickly as possible.

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.

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.  A released snook not harvested preserves the future of our species, one that could face stresses like algae blooms and another freeze.

 

 

Neil Taylor
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