11-04-2001, 10:43 PM
Tampa Bay Area <br>Fishing Report<br>Captain Charles Walker<br>11/04/01<br>You sure couldn’t keep a hat on your head last week. Most of the week sported 20+ mph winds out of the N.E. and east. There were lots of really big Spanish mackerel caught around the wrecks last week by those crazy enough to go out and brave the high seas. The kingfish tournament on Saturday and Sunday also produced some nice king mackerel, but I imagine the winds sure made it uncomfortable to be out there fishing unless you stayed close to shore. Of course most of the big kings like it closer to shore anyway, so that works out well. <br>On to the bait house reports:<br>Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325 – Redfishing is good at this end of the Bay. Snook are around the mouth of the river and biting on select shrimp as well as Bombers, MirroLures and Yo-Zuris. All you have to do is catch the fish in a feeding mood. A few cobia have been brought in this week.<br>Buddy’s Bait and Tackle on the Courteney Campbell Causeway in Tampa - 813-287-1026 – Some nice reds and trout have been caught along the Causeway this week on love shrimp. Sheepshead are showing up daily and biting well on fiddler crabs and blood worms. A few Mangrove snapper are around the rock piles.<br>Bonnie’s Bait and Tackle in Clearwater - 727-446-2772- The Sand Key hard bottom had a lot of boats on it this weekend catching kingfish. The grouper are biting in 30 to 40 feet of water offshore. Spanish mackerel are biting well off the beach on small greenbacks and spoons. <br>Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- Sheepshead are biting well around the bridge this week. Snook are still biting well around Gandy as well. Lots of little ones, but there are some big ones as well.<br>Dogfish Tackle on Redington Beach - 727-392-6644- Whiting are biting well just off the beach. Lots of black drum and trout are biting on the beach this week and plenty Spanish mackerel have been caught. Fishing off the beaches or the Pier has been really good this week because of the easterly winds. <br>Don’s Dock on Madeira Beach - 727-391-3223- Lots of large Spanish mackerel have been caught this week. Lots of flounder have been coming in from the bridge and around the canals this week. The boats that have been able to get out a little way have picked up some nice grouper in 40 feet of Clearwater and north.<br>Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Flounder and mangrove snapper have been biting well off our dock this week. Spanish mackerel have also been moving around in the pass and biting on silver spoons all along the sea wall, the jetty, and our dock. Our offshore boats have been bringing in nice catches of large Spanish mackerel and the party boat came in today with lots of good sized grouper.<br>The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- Spanish mackerel, nice sized trout, sharks, and some pompano 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