12-29-2002, 10:59 PM
Tampa Bay Area
Fishing Report Captain Charles Walker
12/29/02
I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and that we all have a happy and prosperous new year. The weather forecast shows another front headed our way with high winds on New Years Eve and continuing high winds for the rest of the week. With all the parties and holiday get-togethers over the last week, there hasn’t been a whole lot of fishing done. The weather has not been extremely cooperative either, but we have had a couple of nice days (except for the cold temperatures). Lots of silver trout and whiting have been caught in Tampa Bay and along the beaches. The best baits are pieces of shrimp on a small hook fished on the bottom.
On to the bait house reports:
Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325 – The flats are still producing lots of reds and trout. Of course on the first when trout season re-opens all the trout will disappear. The winds we’ve had most of the week have kept all but the real hard-core anglers out of the channel. Sand perch are filling buckets for a lot of anglers that are willing to clean lots of small fish. Big sheepshead are biting on fiddler crabs around Simmons Park.
Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- Sheepshead are still biting like crazy. Shrimp are the baits to use unless you dig your own fiddlers. Lots of reds are biting on the flats on shrimp and snook are biting around the 4th street bridge.
Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Our party boats have been bringing in a few grouper and lots of grunts. The muddy water that has been around for the last week or so has slowed the fishing off our dock. It should pick up as soon as the water clears a little more.
The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- A 33 inch grouper was brought over the rail on Friday. Lots of other legal grouper have been caught, but not quite that big. Spanish mackerel, whiting, silver trout, and some nice sheepshead. Most of the grouper that have been caught on jumbo shrimp.
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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