Aripeka to Longboat Key
Includes Hudson, New Port Richey, Anclote Key, Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Clearwater, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Anna Maria Island and Bradenton.

Nov. 20-22

The time is prime for fishing. Water temperatures are just right for kings, grouper, Spanish, snook, and everything in between. But keep an eye on the forecast for a weather change this weekend as winds shift to the southwest, as a precursor of our next front.

OFFSHORE

Kingfish have been on target as they swarm along the beaches crashing bait schools. Early morning winds have been light and variable with good water flow creating a good chumming vehicle. Anglers anchoring up over hard bottom with frozen chum bags hung over the side are drawing fish to the boat with this method. Even larger fish are brought in when small pieces of fresh threadfin herring or sardines are clipped with scissors and dropped over the stern at a methodical, steady pace. These bits of baitfish seem to get things going in a big way. The method proven years ago to produce tournament winning fish by Suncoast legend, Gene Turner, is perhaps the best method of luring big fish in during tide phases with good water movement. Thanksgiving week is the traditional peak of our kingfish season, but with our mild weather thus far, we could be fishing for kings at Christmas if it continues. Trolling live baits will get big fish as the tides slow. Bluefish and blue runners seem to get the nod from big smokers ready to feast on a big meal.

Grouper diggers take delight in the short runs for legal fish right now. Off our coast from Sarasota to Pasco, you can expect good action in depths ranging from 40-to 60-feet, with a few shallower areas of hardbottom around Sand Key producing well too. To the north, Hernando and Citrus County anglers are finding good action from 12-to 20-foot depths over rock piles and limestone bottom. Cut mullet, sardines, and squid or a live pinfish will tap the action.

The coconut telegraph is quiet when it comes to tripletail offshore. Crab trap floats in the Gulf will hold these fish usually once they get some growth on them. In the water over a month now, the trap floats and lines should begin to hold fish. Cobia are being spotted from Pasco north to the Chassahowitzka River by anglers keeping a peeled eye out for them. Check out any floating object in the Gulf that could hold bait, and you may be in for a ling surprise.

INSHORE

Good things are happening on the Suncoast. Trout fishing has been good in the north zone, north of Fred Howard Park. The closed south region has anglers releasing fish carefully, because trying to fish without catching trout on the flats is like walking outside in the rain without getting wet. It’s just nearly impossible to do. But anglers fishing north of Anclote Key report good action on the new MirrOprop by MirrOlure. The compact twin propeller bait creates a huge amount of surface disturbance drawing in fish from nearby areas to strike. Rapala’s Twitch n’ Rap suspending bait has also been effective as a subsurface bait, creating a nice flash when the rod is twitched.

Snook fishing has been excellent, with good early morning catches on top water baits like the Rapala Skitterwalk, Zara Puppy, and the MirrOmullet. These smaller sized walking baits are about the size of the finger mullet on the flats right now and ‘matching the hatch’ is what it’s about here.

Redfish action continues to hold steady in Manatee County as anglers looking to catch reds are finding them in Palma Sola Bay, Sarasota Bay, and Terra Ceia Bay. North of the Skyway Bridge, good action is taking place from Joe Bay to Ruskin on the South Shore of Tampa Bay.

FRESHWATER

Bass fishing has been superb. Good action on soft plastic worms on Lake Seminole and Lake Tarpon in Pinellas has been reported by anglers flipping the vegetation. Crank baits fished around hydrilla beds are taking good numbers of schooling bass.

This is a great time of the year to be on the water. Temperature in air and water are prime for fish and comfortable for us too. With these pre-winter conditions, fish will feed heavily. So get out and take advantage of the good weather. ‘Til then…catch ya later!

By Captain Ray Markham
flatback@tampabay.rr.com
(941) 723-2655 home | (941) 228-3474 cell

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