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Fishing Report – Tampa Bay – Port Richey – Boca Grande

By January 24, 2014April 18th, 2014Fishing Reports

Well so much for a warm winter!! Mother Nature brought a very abrupt end to our Indian summer about 3 weeks ago. Since then we have had 5 cold fronts come through our area in 7 days…needless to say it has put the fish into a bit of a tailspin. But one good thing about fishing in Florida is there is always something that will bite, especially if you have the right equipment to get to where they are at! I just happen to have the tool for the job, my 18 foot airboat will get me back into the back country where the water tends to stay a little warmer and a little deeper, if you know where the holes are. And because of this I have been able to put my Clients on very good catches of Snook, Redfish and Trout, while other are scrapping by with Ladyfish. It is a unique way of fish and I work with Mother Nature, not against her. I look forward to the North wind that blows so cold and the extremely low water that comes with it, as the water levels become VERY low and trap the fish in all the holes that I can still get to. But enough of how the right tools make a good carpenter lets get to whats biting.

The Redfish have been very good this winter, bunched up in small schools they have been eating very well as long as you do not push them out of the hole they choose to be in. Mirrolure Lil Johns have been the ticket most of the time with a Live shrimp picking up the stragglers.

The same holes were holding good numbers of Snook from 10 inches to 40 inches and they to were very aggressive on the Lil Johns, but were also eating the Mirrodines good also. They have slowed up dramatically since the last blast of cold air finally got the water temps to touch the 50s, but when we get a little warm up they go right back to the feed!

The Speckled Trout has been decent this winter but not on fire, the size is good but the numbers seem to be down, at least for me. Normally 100 trout a day is not uncommon this time of year but it seems if we can get 1/4 of that we have been doing good. I may just be fishing to far in the Back country to be getting the numbers I’m used to, but the Reds and Snook have made up for it.

Looking Forward February is only a couple weeks away and it will be time to throw the cast net as the crickets we love to use will become effective again. look for this spring to be Very good as we have had a normal winter with cool water temps and lots of fronts, the fish will be hungry when the warm winds from the south kick there metabolism up a notch!