05-06-2002, 12:00 PM
Tampa Bay Area <br>Fishing Report<br>Captain Charles Walker<br>5/5/02<br><br>The Spanish and kings are still spread out all over the area. Lots of big Spanish have moved up into Tampa Bay and can be found easily from the Skyway all the way up to Gandy Bridge. If you are going out this week, check all the usual places; around all the range markers, troll around any school of bait you see, the channel markers and all the artificial reefs in the Bay. If you are trolling, use a #1 and a #2 planer with #3 Clarkspoons trolled at 5.5 to 6 knots for the best results. You can cover a lot of water at that speed and every time you get a fish, circle and troll that area a few times around to pick up more. They are school fish, you know. If you find they are only biting on one of the planers, change both rigs to that size and keep going. The kings are spread out offshore, mostly schoolies, but they’re fun to catch on light tackle and a good eating size. You can troll # 3 planers in the ships channel or slow troll live baits around the buoys that are holding bait. The fishing will get better as the week progresses and we get away from the one tide days we had all weekend, so if you have a choice, go out on Wednesday or later in the week for the best chance of catching fish close to shore.<br><br>On to the bait house reports:<br>Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325 – The water has definitely warmed up. There are a lot of snook being caught and a lot of big trout have been brought by the shop this week. A lot of tarpon have been caught this week at the Skyway and even up the Bay near the shop. Mangrove snapper fishing in the ship’s channel has really picked up.<br>Buddy’s Bait and Tackle on the Courteney Campbell Causeway in Tampa - 813-287-1026 – Some trout and reds have been coming in from the bridges this week. Anglers using bluer crabs at night have been getting some big black drum around the bridge. Snook have still been biting around the floodgates. I guess they don’t know the season is closed.<br>Bonnie’s Bait and Tackle in Clearwater - 727-446-2772- Some nice reds have been coming in from the ICW on small pinfish near the Morton Plant Hospital. Some pompano have been coming in from the beaches on yellow Doc’s Jigs. Cobia are being caught on the flats near Anclote. Snook are thick in Clearwater Pass but don’t forget the season is closed. Tarpon have shown up in the Pass as well.<br>Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- Some real nice cobia have been caught in the deep water around the bridge this week. Reds are being caught around the Fourth St. bridges. Some pompano have been caught around the bridge this week.<br>Dogfish Tackle on Redington Beach - 727-392-6644- Lots of tarpon have been caught off the pier this week. The winds have been up a little this week but some nice Spanish have been brought in. Some nice trout have come in from the flats in our area.<br>Don’s Dock on Madeira Beach - 727-391-3223- Spanish mackerel and kings are still being caught by the trollers. A couple of blackfins were caught inside the area of the Betty rose this week. Not many grouper have been brought by the dock, but a few have been caught along with some nice mangrove snapper from the deeper offshore water.<br>Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Our offshore boats are bringing in plenty of blackfin tuna and some nice kingfish from the deeper water offshore. Spanish mackerel and mangrove snapper are being caught off our gas dock. A big cobia was caught off the dock this week, but was too large to get up on the light tackle the angler was using. Our nearshore fishermen have been doing well on Spanish mackerel and kings this week as well.<br>The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- Spanish Mackerel have been the fish of the week, biting on live baits as well as spoons and Gotcha Plugs. Grouper are biting on live bait, but most of the anglers are losing them in the rocks the weekend. Lots of tarpon are around the bridges this week and a few king mackerel have been caught.<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