Snook are closed to harvest as of the first of December, but that doesn’t end catch and release. My clients are still catching plenty of snook. Oscar Santana and Kinh Shiau fished with me last month, and Oscar caught and released a 34-inch snook unharmed. It turns out, Oscar had never fished before, and this snook was the first fish he’s ever caught. Unbelievably, he continued to out fish Kinh during the rest of the charter. Talk about beginner’s luck–now Oscar is ruined for life. 
I’m still encountering schools of redfish, but the fish are just under the slot size. I don’t have a problem with that, because they’re still fun to catch and, if you never have, they’re a blast. Riley found that out himself recently when he caught his first redfish. If you happen upon a school of rat reds and are hoping to take one home for dinner, it’s best to move on in search of larger fish.
Seatrout, out of all the inshore species, remain the most dependable, as far as, fish for dinner. It’s been a banner year for seatrout, and I look for that trend to last right through the end of the year. With all the baitfish hatchlings we’ve had this year, the seatrout are not only plentiful, they’re also fat. So much so, I find myself measuring more fish than normal, because of their exceptional weight, just to find out they measure a ¼ to ½ inch short and have to go back in the water.
One tip I can give you, be patient when seatrout fishing. Don’t just anchor up in a spot and only give it 10 to15 minutes. Also, do some live bait chumming. If you’re fishing in an area with a good tidal flow, chumming will draw fish to your boat. Doing so overtime also brings in the big boys. Fish have a knack of knowing when other fish are feeding and don’t want to be left out. Chumming is like ringing a dinner bell!
Even though the fishing lately has resembled late Summer more so than Fall, it won’t last. Make sure you’re ready! Have a deep water cast net onboard, and be prepared to catch your bait around some of the bridge pilings or range makers scattered throughout Tampa Bay and to target fish in deeper water.
Afishionado, “Adventures in Fishing.”