07-07-2002, 08:34 PM
Tampa Bay Area <br>Fishing Report<br>Captain Charles Walker<br>7/7/02<br><br>Hot, windless days with little water movement offshore made for tough fishing last week. The slightest breeze change would push you off the spot that you tried to anchor on for bottom fishing, and if you did not drop your baits right on the heads of the fish, they wouldn’t come to the hook. So you had to anchor and re-anchor numerous times on the same spot or just “power drift” with the engine on to try and hold the boat over the fishing spot. This is not really lots of fun when the fish are reluctant to bite, but we managed to get a few on each trip anyway. The barracuda were numerous on all the wrecks offshore, so if you are not willing to share your catch with them, don’t fish the artificial reefs or the wrecks out there. They are tons of fun to catch, when you can fool one of them onto a hook though. Bonita (little tunny) are all over the place offshore and are great fun to catch on medium tackle. Just troll some silver spoons on #1 and #2 planers and you can get plenty of action from them. The barracuda hit a broken back lure that we were trolling at about 5 knots pretty regularly. Tube lures pulled as fast as you can troll and still keep them mostly underwater work well also.<br>On to the bait house reports:<br>Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325 – Lots of Spanish mackerel are in the Bay along the channels. There are so many of them that it’s hard to get your bait to the bottom to snapper fish. There have been some nice snapper caught in the ship’s channel and also a few keeper grouper. The early morning anglers on the flats are getting some nice redfish. They are also biting well late in the afternoon. We found some large sheepshead along the channel edges where there are rocks. Some nice flounder have been coming in from the passes and in sand holes near the passes.<br>Buddy’s Bait and Tackle on the Courteney Campbell Causeway in Tampa - 813-287-1026 – Trout and reds have been biting at the floodgates and around the bridges. The best baits are live shrimp.<br>Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- Spanish mackerel are still biting like crazy. Sheepshead are biting well along the bridge. Tarpon and pompano are biting along the bridge. Reds are biting on the flats around the power plant in the early morning and the late afternoon.<br>Don’s Dock on Madeira Beach - 727-391-3223- A 28 pound king was brought in this week. Lots of barracuda and bonita have been caught offshore. Lots of trout have been brought in this week from around the islands inside the Pass.<br>Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Mangrove snapper and grouper are still coming in from our gas dock. Lots of spade fish, sheepshead, redfish and Spanish mackerel. Our offshore boats have been bringing in snapper, amberjacks, some cobia and a few red grouper this week.<br>The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- Lots of pompano, Spanish mackerel, and big tarpon have been coming in today. Most of the grouper have been undersized this week. Lots of shark have been caught this week as well. On the south side, pompano have been biting well as have Spanish mackerel and some real nice cobia have been caught this week.<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