I spoke with Larry at Mastry's Bait & Tackle Inc. in St Petersburg this afternoon. He was telling me that in spite of the hot August weather, and high water temperatures, fishing in lower Tampa Bay is excellent. The best time to fish is still 6pm to 9am, but daytime fishing around the Skyway bridge and the deeper grass flats of Pinellas Point and Fort DeSoto is producing tarpon, trout, and mangrove snapper. Look for tarpon cruising the shadow line of the Skyway Bridge and fishing pier. Free line a crab, pinfish, or greenback in the shadows to jump a few tarpon. Speckled trout fishing is excellent in the deep grass flats. Jigs and jerk baits swam just over the grass is producing most of the trout. Large numbers of good sized mangrove snapper are being caught around bridges and rock piles. Larry was telling me that he prefers to fish for snapper at night on the incoming tide. Use 30lb fluorocarbon leader and just enough weight to hold your bait on the bottom. White bait is Larry's favorite for snapper, but shrimp, greenbacks, dead shad and pinfish also work well. Pinfish will catch the larger snapper and will also produce few grouper. If you get cut off by a grouper, switch to a heavier leader. Spanish mackerel are sporadic but can be found on the deep grass flats, The Pier in St Petersburg, and range markers. Live bait on a short piece of wire, small silver spoons , and Got-Cha Plugs will catch Mackerel. Snook season opens this Saturday, September 1st. New rules are in effect so check the FWC web site, http://www.myfwc.com/, or the post on this site, New Snook Regulations, for more information. Look for snook on the beach. They will hit a wide variety of live baits and lures including white bait, greenbacks, pinfish, CAL jigs, DOA Terror Eyz, and top water plugs. The best snook fishing will be at night and just before dawn. For more information contact;
Mastry's Bait & Tackle Inc.
727-896-8889
1700 4th St South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
