03-10-2002, 07:55 PM
Tampa Bay Area <br>Fishing Report<br>Captain Charles Walker<br>3/10/02<br><br>What a winter so far. I keep saying that and it just seems to get worse. We had two days this week that the wind was down enough to get offshore, and then the mud was stirred up for a lot of miles before you found clean water. The wind is back up this afternoon and small craft advisories are out. I got a report from one boat that went out this morning and came right back because the five foot seas were just beating them up. It looks like Monday will be nice, but after that, who knows? I think I will sell everything, buy a cane pole and roll of string and just fish for crappie from the bank of the closest pond. At least the only weather that will bother me then is rain. When the crappie aren’t biting, I can get some chicken necks and go crabbing with my roll of string.<br><br>On to the bait house reports:<br>Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325 – Trout are biting when the wind is down enough to get out. Reds are showing up, but not many have been biting. No one has been offshore from around here because of the wind.<br>Buddy’s Bait and Tackle on the Courteney Campbell Causeway in Tampa - 813-287-1026 – Trout and reds have been biting around the big bridge. Some sheepshead are still coming in from around the sea walls.<br>Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- sheepshead are still biting well along the bridge. Trout and snapper are biting at the head of the bridge and speckled trout have been coming in from the grass flats near the power plant. The best fishing on the flats is in the afternoon when the water is a little warmer.<br>Don’s Dock on Madeira Beach - 727-391-3223- When the boats could battle their way out there were some nice grouper brought in from deep water. Lots of undersized grouper and small sharks have been caught close to shore this week. Inshore, lots of speckled trout have been caught this week in areas where clean water could be found. <br>Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Lots of sheepshead have been caught off the sea walls this week. Snapper and whiting have been caught off our gas dock. Our offshore boats have been catching tuna, AJ’s, snapper, and grouper on their deep water trips.<br>The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- Sheepshead are still biting well all over the bridge. Lots of silver trout and whiting have been caught. They are leaving the pier by the bucketfuls.<br><br>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.<br><br>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: http://www.floridasaltwater.com .<br><br>Good fishing and tight lines,<br>Capt. Charlie<br>http://www.flfish.com/fl<br><br><br><br>Capt. Charlie Walker<br>http://www.flfish.com