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

It is still hot.   The water is still murky.    Fifteen inches of rain from a hurricane:  Good for stopping algae blooms.    There was a bad one up here at the time of the last report.    Not a huge fish kill, but a fish kill.

Redfish are in good numbers in specific locations and completely missing in others.    The opportunity has been very early with the bite shutting down by 9AM, something that will extend farther into the day as September wears on.

Pompano are way behind their past years numbers for sure.   It just hasn’t been that good but certain days you can pick off a couple of them.  I have seen photos of great numbers caught in Manatee County, but north of Gandy it has been pretty lame.   The Upper Bay is actually probably not the best choice to go for them but you can try.   Use the Silly Willy in bright yellow and add a pink teaser.  But variations of yellow/pink and white are all acceptable.   In the teaser, it is best if there is some “flash” tied in.

What is there in the pompano’s absence:   Drum.    They thinned out in August but returned.    For pompano anglers, drum are an obnoxious nuisance.   For the sportsman who hasn’t done it a few dozen times, it is a thrill and  a half to fight and beat a 60-pound fish.   A lot of them have been that size.     A strange year:  I just didn’t have the requests for these trips.

Ladyfish and Jacks.   They are all over the upper Bay and eating anything and everything they see.   Throw small paddle tails like the 12 Fathom mullet on light jigheads and swim it aggressively.      But you could throw a bare jighead and catch them if you wanted to.    Add in an invasion of bluefish and Upper Tampa Bay has some “action” to bend a rod with these secondary (or tertiary) species

A few flounder are being caught but not as great as they were two years ago at this time.      They just didn’t want to come all the way up the Bay in any kind of numbers.   They must be part of the pompano union.

Snook.    Do us all a favor and don’t keep any.  You want something to eat, take your pick of all the other species.    Let the snook alone and be part of a healing process, one that is underway but years away from being complete.

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

Neil Taylor
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