11-12-2001, 06:47 PM
Tampa Bay Area <br>Fishing Report<br>Captain Charles Walker<br>11/11/01<br><br>I love this fall weather; cool nights and days and at least a few days thrown in with no wind. The Spanish mackerel, kingfish, grouper and even a few cobia have been moving around offshore following the bait schools. It would be fishing at its finest if we could get the National Marine Fisheries Service to eliminate the gill netting of king mackerel in Florida Bay during the winter. I’ve talked about how many Spanish mackerel we have now, well, we could have just as many kingfish as well, if only they would stop the netting. I heard today that there is still a lot of red tide moving around offshore with the currents making it difficult to find bait, but that’s the way it is sometimes. Now that the water has cleaned up from the storms and high winds and the temperature has dropped, it’s going to be tough to find good bait unless the red tide dissipates soon.<br><br>On to the bait house reports:<br>Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325 – The fishing has really turned on this week. Lots of cobia are around the Bay, snook seem to be everywhere, particularly in the mouth of the river, and redfish biting like crazy. The grouper fishing has really picked up this week, lots of them being caught using #3 planers and Bomber lures along the ledges.<br>Buddy’s Bait and Tackle on the Courteney Campbell Causeway in Tampa - 813-287-1026 – Reds, trout and sheepshead are biting around the bridges this week. A few snook are being caught still around the floodgates.<br>Bonnie’s Bait and Tackle in Clearwater - 727-446-2772- Around Anclote Island, the big trout have really been biting. There are schools of bluefish that will take your tackle in the early morning as well. Big Pier 60 really produced trout by the bucket full at night last week. Spanish mackerel are everywhere and will bite anything that moves as usual. Nice grouper have been caught in the 20 to 30 foot depths on live baits. A forty pound kingfish was brought into the shop this afternoon to weigh, by an angler that bought his first fishing rod and reel on Saturday, fished just inside the Sand Key hard bottom with a live pinfish, fishing from a 16 foot SeaDoo. How’s that for a great fishing story? Lots of kings were cutting the baits off the party boats this week around the offshore wrecks.<br>Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- A lot of sheepshead are biting well off the bridge on fiddler crabs. Reds are biting well around Weedon Island. The Fourth St. Bridge has been producing a lot of nice flounder this week. Spanish mackerel are still biting well around the markers and near the Skyway.<br>Dogfish Tackle on Redington Beach - 727-392-6644- A lot of Spanish mackerel are just off the beach and there are lots of kings mixed in with them. Plenty of flounder have been caught this week in the passes. Whiting are starting to move into the beach area and there are grouper moving into the shallower water as well.<br>Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Lots of flounder have been caught off our gas dock this. Some grouper have been caught as well. Our offshore boats are bringing in grouper and snapper on all their trips, along with Spanish mackerel and kingfish.<br>The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- Silver trout and lots of black sea bass have been brought in this week. The grouper have been biting pretty well along with lots of grunts. A few pompano have been caught this week as well. <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