Fishing Forum

Tampa Bay Area

Fishing Report Captain Charles Walker

3/30/03

What a cold front that came through. From the time I got the newspaper at 6 am until after the rain quit at about 11 am, the temperature dropped over 10 degrees from 75 to 62, the wind picked up to 25 knots gusting to 35 knots and the prognosticators were saying we may have gale force winds on Sunday afternoon. It looks like the winds won’t die until Tuesday or Wednesday and guess what; we have three more weeks until Easter and there’s always a late cold front just before Easter. The temperature this year came up so fast that the poor kingfish probably don’t know what to think of it. Last week the Gulf temp was up to 75 and rising with all the summer-like days that we’ve had. There’s bait to be found, but it’s so early in the season that much of it is still very small. I wouldn’t expect to find plenty of full grown bait until mid April normally, but with this weather, who knows. Hopefully the kings won’t go zooming past us because of the unseasonably warm water without giving us a chance at a few large ones in April.



On to the bait house reports:
Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325 – The Spanish mackerel are thick in the area. Reds are being caught up to 27/28 inches regularly. Snook seem to everywhere in the mangroves and along the spoils. Bishop’s Harbor is holding some nice sized trout. Sheepshead and Mangrove snapper are sill being caught up the river this week.
Buddy’s Bait and Tackle on the Courteney Campbell Causeway in Tampa - 813-287-1026 – Trout and reds are being caught around the bridge on live shrimp. Spanish mackerel have finally moved into the area and are being caught on shrimp and spoons. Snook are being caught around the floodgates.
Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- Pompano are still biting really well at the bridge. Spanish mackerel are biting around the bridge. Sheepshead are moving out, but there are lots of silver trout in the channels. Snook are hanging around under the bridge and along the residential docks. Reds are biting well on the flats around Weedon Island and the Fourth St. Bridges.
Don’s Dock on Madeira Beach - 727-391-3223- Lots of kings have been caught this week by just about anybody that went out. Lots of grouper have been caught by trollers this week in the shallower water. A couple of sails were caught last week. Inshore has been good fishing for reds on the flats and around the docks. Freshwater tackle, jerk baits and worms, are really producing around the residential docks.
Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Our boats have been bringing in limits of kingfish and plenty of grouper. Off our gas dock, sheepshead and grouper are biting well.
The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- Kings have been biting well this week. Be sure and bring some heavy gear for them. Trout and pompano are biting well. The big kings seem to have run off most of the smaller mackerel so the Spanish that are being caught are bigger this week.

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
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