Snook, redfish and spotted sea trout action will be good this month as the water temperatures heat up. It’s not likely you’ll find snook, redfish or trout in skinny water, except perhaps early in the mornings. Instead, you’ll likely find them suspended at different water levels, depending on the thermoclines. If you do find them shallow, you’ll see them hanging around the mangrove’s shade line. Check around passes separating the mangrove islands. Artificial lures work well this time of year. MirrOlure’s Top-Dog Series or the MirrOmullet Surface Walker are a great choice. The preffered colors are white, silver with black, green with white and red-head and white.
Mackerel fishing in Tampa Bay is semi-strong (some good days–some bad days), and there are some big drag screamers chasing schools of threadfins. These are some exciting fish to catch on light tackle, with the larger ones averaging from three to five pounds. Try to find the hard bottom and you’ll usually find vast schools of threadfins. Hang a couple of bags of chum over the side. And, use threadfins or greenbacks with small wire leaders and long shank hooks. I use 50-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader with Daiichi long shank hooks.
You can find mangrove snapper on every rock pile, marker, structure and bridge piling around Tampa Bay. A light line with a smaller hook should produce a nice meal. They’re really partial to the new hatch greenbacks or threadfins, but always take shrimp.
Cobia are being seen around markers, especially those holding bait. Occasionally, some are cruising the grass flats following giant rays or manatee. When you fish markers, keep a chum bag over the side. If fish are in the area, this should attract them. Toss them a pinfish, greenback, or threadfin and hold on.
Give me a call and let’s go fishing.