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

March 12-14

After several months of extreme cold for these parts, a week of warm weather broke the cycle. Another front will come in for the weekend, bringing high winds, but the temperatures will stay up compared to recent frozen cold fronts. This is huge in terms of water temperature beginning to inch up offshore. Inshore, expect to find fish becoming more aggressive in protected areas.

OFFSHORE

Schools of baitfish—including pinfish, scaled sardines, and Spanish sardines—are hanging just offshore, according to several captains and surfers. What this means in terms of fishing is that our pelagic run of Spanish and king mackerel and cobia is teetering on the edge of a beginning. I’ve yet to get reports from the south of mackerel schools showing up around Boca Grande, but macks are due just about any time. With the high winds of late, Capt. Van Hubbard of Englewood has been staying inside giving his anglers a workout with sheepshead and trout. Another week or two more of this mild weather and that should do it. When they do begin to show, look for areas that hold baitfish. Wrecks, reefs, rubble, and most any structure where baitfish gather are the spots to begin looking. Notably, the Egmont Key Ship’s Channel will hold bait around the buoys and markers.

It seems like forever, but grouper have been closed for the past month and a half, and remain closed through the end of this month. With bait showing up, pinfish schools could be your best bet for scooping up some livies for the well. Begin looking for grouper in 50 to 60 feet of water.

In the meantime, anglers are finding triggerfish, porgies, white grunts, and the occasional flounder available on wrecks in the grouper range. These fish are exquisite table fare, despite not getting the fanfare grouper gathers. Their mild fillets and firm flesh make for a flavorful meal. Mangrove snappers are also a top target, although this time of year may be a little more difficult to find in the shallower ranges. Give it another month and mango madness begins.

INSHORE

If you missed out on fishing this week, you probably missed some of the best action in months. These past few days have been much warmer than recent weeks, but in actuality, the warm spell is closer to the normal average temperatures we experience this time of year. The fact that it takes several days for water temperatures to rebound from the cold weather makes this weekend a good opportunity to hit the backwaters and run up the rivers for some action. Incoming tides bringing Gulf water are flooding the flats with cold water. Late afternoons will likely provide the best opportunity for a good bite. Next week’s new moon will crank up the tides a bit, providing better water movement.

Redfish have been coming on strong in good numbers with schooling fish available in backcountry areas from Terra Ceia to Ruskin on the south shore of Tampa Bay. Gold spoons imitate small baitfish and are working well on these reds. Some of the old stand-by baits that formerly won many redfish tours, like the Mister Twister RT Slugs and the D.A.R.T. from Mister Twister, seem to be coming back in favor and are taking good numbers of reds on jigheads. New on the market from MirrOlure are the Lil’ John and the Provoker—jerk baits in soft plastic that are shrimp scented and are providing good action for those using them around oyster bars, potholes and edges of channels on the dropping tides. The CAL Shad remains one of the top search baits while prospecting for fish in dirty water. The small three-inch bait seems to be the bite size that turns on the feed.

Excellent reports from anglers fishing north Pinellas waters from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs for trout abound this week. The rise in water temperature seems to be a boom for the numerous spoil islands that dot the Intracoastal Waterway. Areas with lush turtle grass are holding good numbers of speckled trout. MirrOlure MirrOdines, Rapala X-Raps, DOA Deadly Combos, and the new Mister Twister Fantail Shrimp are producing limits of fish for anglers from Clearwater to the Nature Coast.

Plenty of sheepshead are still around for the taking, and anglers using small live shrimp, fiddler crabs, or brined oysters and barnacles are catching quite a few of these striped bait bandits. Small hooks in the No. 2 to No. 1/0 size, depending on bait size, are working best. Hide the hook in the bait for best results and use no more weight than necessary to hold the bait in the strike zone. Splitshots of varying sizes will allow you to add just the right amount of weight. Continue adding until you get what you need, then remove the group of weights and put on one weight the size that’s right for the current you’re fishing. Target these fish during slack tides and you’ll end up with a near weightless presentation that gives you the best feel of the bait when these nibblers gnaw your offering.

FRESH WATER

Katy bar the door! Bass are going off down south in Lake Okeechobee, and south lakes. This week should see some big bass caught in the Kissimmee Chain. Lake Tarpon is still showing good action with crappie and bass that have begun to bed in the shallows. Look for local area ponds to also produce some good results for bass and bream.

flatback@tampabay.rr.com
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