BY CAPT. WADE OSBORNE
Reported 8/09
Moving water is the key to success
If you haven’t had much luck lately while fishing on the shallow grass flats you’re not alone. With water temperatures hovering in the 90s what did you expect? The solution is easy, get off the flats and fish deep!
The snook fishing remains strong just about any time of the day, as long as there is a good tidal flow. Swash channels along the beach, passes and bridges are all great areas to target snook. And, even though the northern tip of Anclote Key gets immense fishing pressure, it’s still one of the top snook spots along the Suncoast.
Redfish are more tolerant to the brutal heat, but it can be hard to find the big schools. When you do find some redfish, you're more likely to catch them on a piece of fresh cut bait than a live one, so if you’re not getting any hook-ups, give it a try. Some of the best places for giant redfish right now are along the coast from Tarpon Springs, north to Gulf Harbours.
The deep flats on the outside of Honeymoon and Caladesi Island great places to catch blacktip and bonnethead sharks in the summer. For the most fun, use your snook rig and simply tie on a three-foot section of 30 pound fluorocarbon leader and a long-shank, size one hook.
The trout fishing has been pretty good in deep water with good tidal movement. Any grass flat in the five to six foot range with moving water is worth checking out. The outside edges of the Intracoastal waterway would be a good starting point. From there, work your way in closer to shore.
The inshore mangrove snapper fishing has been the best I’ve ever seen. Every rock pile, bridge piling and jetty is loaded with snapper. I like to live bait chum to get them stirred up, just like I would for snook or redfish. Then I dig deep in my live well and find a small pinfish and hook it through the nose. When letting it drift back to the fish, keep the bail open while applying a little pressure on the line until you get a bite, then close the bail and reel.
The near shore reefs and wrecks are another hotspot for mangrove snapper as well as Spanish mackerel.
The most important thing to remember is, where’s the moving water? Check a tide chart and devise a plan to find cooler water. Of course you could just fish at night, but I prefer to sleep.
Captain Wade Osborne has been fishing Tampa Bay and the Pinellas Suncoast for over 29 years. He also hosts "Afishionado Radio" airing Saturdays from 8-10 a.m. on Tampa Bay’s AM 1340 WTAN, Dade City’s AM 1350 WDCF and streaming at www.afishionadoradio.com. For charter information call 813-286-3474 or visit www.afishionado.com.
Captain David M Rieumont
Reported 06/18/09
The summer is here and the water temperature is now at the 80 degree level. The fish speed up along with the temperature. Tarpon and snook will be out on the beaches and the passes. Scaled sardines and threadfins will be in many places and the most used bait.
But for big fish nothing beats a pigfish, grunt, mullet, pinfish, crab or frozen shad. The pigfish, grunt’s and pinfish can be caught on #7 to #10 hook with a small egg sinker (like a fish finder rig), along with tiny pieces of squid. Any grass flat over 5 feet with sand potholes will hold them. Mullet can be caught with a castnet. Crabs can be caught with a dip net at most bridges on any outgoing tide. Frozen shad you can buy at your local bait and tackle. With both tarpon and snook, I like to have an assortment of baits with me.
Tarpon can be found in the passes and from the beaches to about a mile out into the gulf. Tarpon will travel up and down the beaches and your best shot at them will be very early morning or late in the day as the sun goes down. I don’t recommend chasing tarpon with any kind of motor, trolling or gas. Set up in a known pathway where tarpon travel and anchor up. Put out an assortment of baits. Free line large scaled sardine’s, put a pinfish under a cork and bottom fish a frozen shad on the bottom. You get the picture!!! The more baits out the more choices the fish have. I always will keep a rig set up with some type of casting plug, to throw at tarpon I see.
By the way, both Grouper and Amberjack fishing will at times cause you to blurt out various phrases and choice words you didn't realize you knew or haven't used since High School or College! Yup...these fish sure can get a rise out of just about anyone. Challenging...but rewarding!
Tarpon gear: An extra heavy spinning rod loaded with at least 300 yards of 30lb braided line and a 80lb fluorocarbon leader. Anything else and you’re asking for trouble. Get the tarpon to the boat as quick as possible, having tackle too light will only exhaust the fish and his chance of revival will not be good. Hook size will be based on the size of the bait. Tarpon have a very hard mouth, so make sure your hooks are razor sharp. Try a circle hook, tarpon are less likely to throw them. Once hooked up remember if the fish runs right you pull to the left and if the fish runs left you pull to the right. When you do pull left and right and keep the rod low to the water it will also keep the tarpon from jumping too much. Its called the down and dirty tactic! When the tarpon does jump, bow to him (point the rod at the fish and give him some slack line). This will prevent him from throwing the hook or if he lands back on the line after the jump, it will have some slack and less likely to break. One more thing, where there are tarpon there are many sharks that you will catch which are just as fun. Some tarpon paths are Caladisi Island, Honeymoon Island on the west side north and south corners. They will pop up in many other places so always be ready.
Capt. David Rieumont
H - 727-943-5011 - C - 727-204-9723
CAPT. RICHARD - ABOVE AVERAGE CHARTERS
Reported: 07-21-09
SHARK FISHING...THEY'RE HERE! Ah, it's that time of year again! Now is a great time to go shark fishing as our sharp-toothed predators are hungry! You're anchoring about 1 1/2 miles out and you can expect Black Tips ranging from 3-6 foot, a 7-8 foot resident Hammer Head and a 10 foot resident Nurse Shark! Tiger Sharks and Bull Sharks are also in the mix. Who's got the guts? Who's got the nerve? Put your muscle and patience to the test! We dare ya!
Psst...RED SNAPPER IS OPEN You'll need a 10-12 hour trip to catch these beauties! After we limit out on Red Snapper, we can go for Amberjack and Grouper or maybe even troll. Fishing 35+ miles.
AMBERJACK FISHING So you want a big fish? Amberjack is your fish! This fish will separate the men from the boys and the women from the girls! Ya might want to pump some iron before you tackle this species! The Amberjack is a year-round fish.
BOTTOM FISHING Catching Gag Grouper, Red Grouper and Mangrove Snapper . You need to go out farther and in deeper water for the keepers during the warm and hot months. They're out there, but do you have what it takes to bring up a keeper? Fishing 18+ miles.ollin
TROLLING FISH are as follows: King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, Barracuda, Bonito, Cobia. *Black Fin Tunas typically in May, Mahi Mahi and possibly Sailfish in the Summer Time.
Capt. Richard
727-365-7931
