The Tampa Bay area is genuinely blessed with an abundance of residential canals, back-bay fishing and inshore channels and reefs. So, when it comes to fishing in December, the Bay area anglers are lucky, because they never have to go too far when looking for fish.
The fish seem to acclimate to the lower tides and feed all day with little or no weather concern. Fishing around the grass flats begins heating up, with plenty of good sight fishing. Live baits are occasionally unnecessary, especially with all the artificial lures available in today’s arsenal of fishing tackle. If you’re looking for larger fish during the colder water months, it can help to take along a few dozen large live shrimp.
If snook is your species of choice, the Bay and its tributaries offer plenty of excellent fishing. There are so many areas that hold this prize, it’s hard to take the time to find new ones. However, this coming year, I intend to concentrate on learning new unlikely places for snook. Some great snook fishing is located in your own backyard; just take time to learn the areas.
Red fishing should still be OK with some schools found on the flats and in and around the mangroves looking for food. Find a big school of mullet, and they are usually frequented by schooling redfish. You should be able to find a few big fish in the skinny water, but locating them does require a bit of exploration. On both sides of the Bay, start by looking for healthy, shallow grass flats with narrow cuts and larger sandy potholes. This type of flat can be dissected and studied, particularly during low tides. At times, the water is so low you cannot reach the potholes where redfish stage and feed during low tide. Therefore, you need to find their access lanes for getting back to the deeper holes during low tide. Find these access lanes that funnel water onto and off the flat, and you have an avenue back to the potholes. If you cannot use the same access, because it’s too shallow, you can set up an ambush point and be ready when the tide turns to come out. The trick is learning exactly where to be and at what time.
If you can get close enough, simply pull up to the bar and start throwing chum. Live and dead baits will work, but you can also catch plenty of fish on jigs and jerk baits, for the simple reason that you having the ability to cover more water. A good color preference is new penny, camo and white.
Sea trout fishing has been off the wall this year, especially around deeper rocky bottoms and lush grass flats with sandy potholes. Windy, changing weather and overcast days are a favorite time for avid trout anglers. Live greenbacks, shrimp or artificial lures will do the trick. Early in the morning on the grass flats, a MirrOlure Top Dog Jr. or a MirrOdine will produce some excellent sized fish–including the occasional snook or redfish.
Cold fronts should bring the traditionally high winds. As the water temps fall with each passing weather front, the near beach kingfish bite should improve. Tons of bait should bring the kings, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and bonito within a mile or so of the beach and inside the Bay.