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

Redfish are the big story in a lot of locations and one of two great options for this part of our region.   The other:    Huge black drum.   It’s late, late summer.    This is pretty much the same every year.   You are lucky if you can find the redfish but the drum are pretty easy.      Silly Willy with a teaser.   For pompano I do a yellow jig and a pink teaser.   For drum, it doesn’t matter.   Any color will really do.

Redfish are ganged up and working the shallows in half a dozen location north of the Gandy Bridge.  Well, small gangs but they are there.

Get ready for better Upper Bay reports.   It’s getting closer.   Summer is the wrong time to be up here.     For yet another year, all these people tell me about their trips up here:  And they’re all bad.     Stay tuned:  In six weeks it is going to get a lot better up here.

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

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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