09-01-2002, 07:08 PM
Tampa Bay Area
Fishing Report Captain Charles Walker
9/1/02
It’s been typical summer fishing and weather again for the past week. The water temperature is high by midday and the fish are looking for cooler deeper water. Spanish mackerel are still biting well and in good numbers around the Bay and offshore. Snook season opened on Sept. 1st and reports are that lots of keeper fish were brought to the docks around the Bay. The bag limit changed this year to only one fish allowed per angler and if you are on a charter, the captain and crew are not allowed to keep even one fish for themselves. The law says that you may not even posses more than one snook per person, which means that if you go out of town for the weekend or a vacation, you may have only one snook in your possession, even on land, no matter how many days you were fishing.
On to the bait house reports:
Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325 – Snook season is open now and plenty of them have been caught today. Black drum have been biting this week in the mouth of the Little Manatee. A few grouper have been caught in the ship’s channel but redfish seem to be the constant in the mouth of the river right now and Spanish mackerel are still biting inside the Bay.
Buddy’s Bait and Tackle on the Courteney Campbell Causeway in Tampa - 813-287-1026 – Trout and red have been caught around the bridges. Mangrove snapper and pompano have been biting this week along the causeway and around the bridges.
Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- Mangrove snapper are still biting well at the end of the bridge. Reds have been tailing on the flats around the 4th St. Bridge. Snook season just opened and quite a few have been reportedly caught around the mangroves.
Don’s Dock on Madeira Beach - 727-391-3223- Offshore, the grouper have been biting around 95 feet and deeper. Plenty of jacks and mangrove snapper are biting around the jetties in the Pass and with snook season just opening, there have been lots of them caught around the docks and mangroves.
Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Our offshore boats have been bringing in a few snapper and grouper and some nice sized amberjacks and dolphin from deeper water. Off our gas dock anglers have caught grouper, mangrove snapper and snook.
The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- Quite a few keeper grouper and mangrove snapper have been caught this week. Pompano and Spanish mackerel have been biting well. Lots of jack crevalle have been caught this week and at night the best bitters have been mangrove snapper and snook.
Folks, feel free to call any of the places in my report for more information, and be sure to tell them that you read about the fishing in their area in Capt. Charlie’s fishing report on the Internet.
If you want more information about fishing in the Tampa Bay area or wish to book a charter, simply e-mail me at captchas@flfish.com or if you wish to arrange a charter faster, call me at 727-546-7257. Be sure and visit my web site for lots more Tampa Bay Area fishing info at: [url "http://www.floridasaltwater.com/"][#0000ff]http://www.floridasaltwater.com[/#0000ff][/url] .
Good fishing and tight lines,
Capt. Charlie
http://www.flfish.com/fl
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