Fishing in the area has been great especially for resident species like redfish, trout, flounder and snook. 40-60 fish days are the norm right now partially because the water on the flats is crystal clear making redfish and trout easy targets. Also, all species, especially snook tend to be very concentrated in more protected areas where water temps remain on the warmer side. Couple all of this with a minimum in boat traffic and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Now through the spring is prime time to catch a huge trophy sized speckled trout. So far this year, “gator-trout” to 27” have been caught mostly on plugs and plastics around protected areas with seagrass near by. Large numbers of even bigger ones are expected to move into the area and prowl the flats in search of a meal and 30” fish are a definite possibility. Dozens of med-large trout in the 15”-20” slot limit have been caught literally every trip in the past few weeks and make great table fair.
During warmer trends, some incredible snook fishing can be had. Literally hundreds can be seen sunning themselves just under the surface and you just pick the one you want. Average size on these snook is around 30” but snook pushing 40” have been landed in the past few weeks!!! All are taken on plugs.
Reds of all sizes can be found mixed in with trout, flounder, sheepshead and ladyfish in pot-holes on lower tides. During higher tides, schools of reds to 40” and “gator trout” can be found sunning themselves in the shallows around oyster bars and can be sight-casted to with plastics, plugs, or shrimp.
Expect trout and redfishing to get even better as we head towards the spring and the snook fishing to remain stable until the fish spread out in a few months as the water warms. Massive black-drum to 70lbs should also start to trickle into the report as they prepare to spawn in the early spring. All in all the fishing is great in our area and 40-60 fish days can be expected. Call Gator Jim’s at 727-363-0900 to book your trip and come catch a memory.
Capt. Tyler Kapela
Hello every one!
Fishing in the area has been excellent over the past couple months.
Tarpon fishing has been stellar under the right conditions and flats fishing has yielded steady action from a list of species.
Nearshore fishing for pelagic like kingfish, Spanish mackerel, big jacks, cobia and sharks has been great on calmer days as well.
Tarpon are on the beach, in the passes and around bridges both day and night. Fish are generally ranging in size from 60-140lbs with the occasional monster pushing 200lbs crashing the party. Early morning and evening action has been the most consistent but sight fishing for tarpon in clear, shallow water later in the day has led to some exciting results.
There are large trout on the flats early in the morning that pound top water plugs until the sun gets to high. Switching to subsurface lures later will keep the bite going. 300+ fish Schools of big bull redfish are also prowling flats throughout the area eating lures, bait and even flies.
Stealth is key to catching these seasoned fish but monsters to 40" have been landed recently. Also there have been frenzied schools of mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish, jacks, and others exploding small baits all over deeper flats during the first half of the day. Flocks of diving birds lead the way to the chaos.
Nearshore, huge schools of large spanish mackerel have been going off in the egmont channel. Big jacks and bonita have been mixed in adding to the excitement. Also around these schools are large predators like "smoker"
kingfish and all types of sharks. Heavier tackle with some cut bait has landed tons of blacktop, hammerhead, and spinner sharks amongst the feeding frenzy.
Fishing right now is excellent with nearly every species we find here present in the area. Early and late have been the most consistent times due to the heat as a rule this time of year. If you are looking for a unique experience, night fishing is an extremely productive and comfortable way to beat the heat and catch tons of active fish. Catch a memory.
