West Central Florida: Hogfish, Mangrove Offshore/Nearshore; Check Water Temp Inshore; Crappie Are on Fire

Capt. Ray Markham covers the fishing forecast from Aripeka to Longboat Key, including Hudson, Anclote Key, Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Clearwater, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Anna Maria Island and Bradenton. Contact info: RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM; 941-228-3474; www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Jan. 10-12 Report

Much cooler weather has been on tap for this week with another cold front on the way for this weekend. Offshore depths won’t be affected as much as the shallows inshore. Finding a day with a warming trend, a bright sun, and light winds will be the keys to some good inshore action.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

A good variety of fish continue to chew in nearshore water depths ranging from 40 to 60 feet. Steady action with hogfish continues in that depth range. Porgies, sheepshead, grunts and several others are caught here. Lane snapper reopened and are on the hit list. Mangrove snapper are being caught in fewer numbers in nearshore depths but are in better numbers and size beyond 100 feet. Look for the calmest water within a few miles of the beaches on days with winds out of the east or with an easterly component for a nice ride out. Just beware that the ride back may not be quite as nice.

Pelagic action has been good for anglers fishing on the party boats out of Hubbard’s Marina. Good numbers of blackfin tuna are being caught along with kingfish and an occasional wahoo. The mangrove snapper bite is decent, and mutton snapper are becoming more of a regular catch in the past month. Both dead and live threadfins are doing the trick for muttons. Some of the largest mangrove snapper are caught while dropping live pinfish.

The top spot offshore goes to red grouper. With the reopening of red grouper on January 1, anglers who have been able to get out from 80 feet and deeper are finding some quality fire truck reds. Good action has been reported southwest of Pinellas on Swiss cheese-type bottom beginning in about 60-to 80-foot depths and beyond. The deeper waters fished are producing a few scamp grouper. Triggerfish are closed.

INSHORE

Water temperature is a major factor for catching our inshore species this time of year. You might find some black seabass in lower Tampa Bay on some of the patches of hard bottom that will cooperate, but with snook, trout, redfish, flounder and a few others, a little more planning and looking might be necessary to get on a consistent bite.

Incoming tides this time of year might produce some warmer waters, especially when winds get away from a northerly component. North winds tend to slow or even halt rising waters with this wind direction. Southerly breezes can produce warmer conditions that will trigger the metabolisms of most fish. Flounder are not quite as sensitive to the cold or nasty stuff, but for consistency, sheepshead will be your best bet even under the nastiest conditions, whether it’s cold, windy, or raining, they chew. Your best bait for them is likely to be fiddler crabs when fishing around any kind of rubble, pilings, docks, etc. Live shrimp may be your second choice, but don’t bother with large or hand-picked sizes. Sheepshead don’t have large mouths, so matching a 1/0 circle hook to a small shrimp should do the trick without having to set the hook when you feel these fish tap-tap and chew. Simply reel and get tight with the fish to set the hook.

Flounder will be found where there is moving water. Passes, oyster bar swash channels, and sandy spots often hold them. When tides are slow, look for the wind to produce some moving water, and at times, the wind-driven currents will outpace the predicted movements of a normal tide. You won’t find numbers of these fish as you might with trout, but they are worth targeting if you have the right habitat to find them. Snook fishing is not recommended during these cold spells as the cold stresses these temperature-sensitive fish, weakening them. They can potentially die from the stress.

Redfish action has been steady in some areas with dark muddy bottoms, and access to sunlight, seagrass and oyster bars. The combination of these factors makes for warming scenarios that will boost metabolic rates making these fish more apt to eat. Small offerings of fiddler crabs or live shrimp with a tail clipped will produce results, but to simplify things, tossing a lightweight jig or jerk bait such as the CAL Shad or MirrOlure Lil’ John will garner some attention. Oftentimes, presenting an artificial such as a DOA shrimp or the new Berkley saltwater PowerBait Power Switch Shrimp will produce instant results. In any case, a soft landing of your presentation will make or break your results.

Trout fishing has been outstanding in our region with good numbers of fish being caught as well as some upper and over-slot fish. The most productive way of catching them might be with tandem-rigged jigs like the DOA Deadly Tandem. But tying most any small lightweight jig pair in tandem will get results. You want lightweight jigs to allow the pairs to dart as well as fall slowly. Curly tails are best in slow tidal situations where the tails will flutter in the lightest current, but grub tails will dart more and in a school of trout, this can entice the bite creating a feeding frenzy and double hook-ups.

A real nuisance lately has been the number of bluefish in the bays that are chomping trout and others that are on your line as you try to get them in the boat. These fish have razor-sharp teeth and sometimes will cut a fish completely up to the gills. They have voracious appetites and are ruthless feeders. Be careful to avoid their teeth if you are releasing them. The use of a de-hooker such as the Baker Hookout will ensure the best safety.

FRESHWATER

Crappie and bass are a dynamic duo to be targeting right now. Bass are active in this cooler water, hitting a variety of lures. Even topwaters have produced some exciting action. I have had fantastic action with the L&S popper from the company making MirrOlures. Lures like the Rebel Pop-R are also excellent. Prop baits churn up some water and trigger strikes when a little wind is on the surface. Whether it’s a twitching or steady retrieve, the flash, splash, and vibrations will attract fish.

Crappie fishing has been on fire. Lots of action with these panfish is going on all around the state. They thrive in cold water and weather. While they do, you might not want to bundle up so much, so you do have an option, living in the Sunshine State. Head south to the “Big O”, Lake Okeechobee for some action that is hot right now. A day trip or even a long weekend either with your own boat or with a guide like Captain Angie Douthit will bring the heat you might be looking for while fishing. Book a trip today at www.SouthFloridabassfishing.com or (863) 228-7263. Not only can she put you on some spawning crappie but she can suggest some places to stay that offer her customers a special rate. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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PREVIOUS REPORTS

Jan. 2-5 Report

Welcome to 2025. Ringing in the New Year on the water has been a tradition of mine for at least the past 35 years. This is the first year that I will pass due to the amount of hurricane damage to the docks and ramp areas that make launching a vessel difficult at best and dangerous as well. It seems the topic of repair of these docks and ramps is not on the agenda. With tourism’s importance to Florida’s economy, one would think more emphasis would be placed on the repair of these launching facilities to get the boating community back on the water and fishing guides back to work to support what Florida calls “The Fishing Capital of the World.”

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Last Monday’s new moon will still have some effect on the tides for the upcoming weekend.  Fish on the bottom seem to bite best on slower periods of the tide and choose to move away from the structure to feed during these times.

On January 1, the New Year brought some changes. Triggerfish closed, but on the positive side, red grouper and lane snapper both reopened on the first. Plenty of lane snapper have been caught by anglers while fishing nearshore waters for hogfish in depths ranging from 40 to 60 feet. Red snapper closed for federally permitted charter vessels as well.

Look for red grouper in depths ranging from 80 to 90 feet and beyond. Mangrove snapper, vermilion, and yellowtail are all still being caught along with lanes. The occasional kingfish are caught on some deepwater wrecks. Blackfin tunas and a few wahoo have been caught as well.

INSHORE

Trout still are cooperating in the entire region. Multiple-year classes are caught, showing a fishery that is rebuilding well. We are finally seeing some fish in the mid-twenty-inch class, a good sign of recovery. We should continue to see even larger fish as we approach Spring. Anglers are finding good numbers around most grass flats that have some deeper potholes or channels. Grass patches are holding fish. A simple jig or jerk bait such as the MirrOlure Lil’ John rigged on a 1/8 or ¼ ounce jig head will produce good numbers. The Provoker color has been producing excellent numbers of trout according to Captains Justin and Scott Moore down on the southern portion of the West Central Region. The grassy areas inside the passes of Sarasota Bay have been producing some nice trout as well as a few pompano. Redfish have been scattered. The ICW to the south has been seeing some good snook action at night around the dock lights and bridge fenders.

Sheepshead fishing has steadily improved with good numbers of fish showing up on the flats and around docks, bridges, seawalls, rock piles, and pilings. Pick a sunny day on a dead low tide and find some fiddler crabs. The low tides encourage the fiddlers to come out when the sun is bright. Get a bunch in a bait bucket and toss in a little wet seaweed and they’ll keep for hours.

Hard bottom areas in lower Tampa Bay are producing some black seabass and bluefish as well as some larger trout in depths ranging from 10 to 20 feet. CAL Shads rigged on ¼ oz. jig heads work well. If there is slack tide, fish a 3” DOA Shrimp for good action. You might even find some keeper mangrove snapper as well.

FRESHWATER

Steady action around the region with crappie, bass, and bluegill has been reported. Anglers fishing Lake Manatee in Bradenton are finding some freshwater catfish along with crappie, bluegill, and some nice bass. Lake Tarpon in Pinellas has had good bass action for anglers fishing black or purple worms and Junebug-colored Senkos. Vibrating jigs are also catching some nice stringers of bass. Lake Seminole in Pinellas has also seen some good action with bass, and stumpknockers caught on Roadrunner lures.

Residential ponds with good depth are producing some fat bass for anglers in Pinellas, Pasco, and Manatee Counties. A variety of crankbaits are working well. The Bill Lewis Rat L’ Trap has been a top producer in chrome/ blue back color. There’s always someplace out of the wind to find some fish. Find your honey hole and get out in 2025. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Dec. 27-29 Report

As the year ends, we should reflect on this year, look forward to the year ahead, and ask ourselves what we can do to make our fishery even better. For now, we look forward to the last weekend of the year with hope, as always, for a better one ahead. There are many things you can do to help our fishery, such as joining the Coastal Conservation Association. There are local chapters not just in Florida but all around the coast of the US. They are a voice for recreational anglers. They build artificial reefs, restore mangrove shorelines, seed areas with clams to help filter and clean polluted waters, restore oyster populations to also filter water, and so much more. To find out more about how you can get involved, go to https://ccaflorida.org/.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

This from FWC:

• Recreational harvest of red grouper and lane snapper opens in Gulf state waters on Jan. 1.
• Harvest of red grouper and lane snapper will open in Gulf state waters on Jan 1.

If you plan to fish for red grouper in Gulf state or federal waters from a private recreational vessel, you must sign up for the State Reef Fish Angler Designation (annual renewal is required). This annual designation allows you to be selected to receive a mail survey for the State Reef Fish Survey. By participating in the State Reef Fish Survey, you are improving recreational data that are used to provide optimum recreational fishing opportunities in Florida. To learn more about the State Reef Fish Survey, visit MyFWC.com/SRFS.

For current recreational red grouper regulations visit MyFWC.com/Marine, click on “Recreational Regulations,” “Reef Fish” and then “Grouper.”

For recreational lane snapper regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations,” “Reef Fish” and then “Snapper.”

You can also download the Fish Rules App to keep up to date on current fishing regulations while on the water.

Hogfish are still lighting up smiles in nearshore waters ranging from 40 to 60 feet. Red snapper are still available onboard Federally permitted charter boats through the end of the year. The boats out of Hubbard’s Marina have been posting some nice catches of red snapper. Plenty of mangrove snappers, vermilions, and some lane snappers have been caught along with a variety of others. As we approach the new moon on the 30th look for daytime action to be good.

INSHORE

Trout are the shining star around our region right now. Water temperatures over the past week have dropped, ranging from the mid-to-upper 50’s. Trout don’t seem to mind the cooler water temperatures and the lower tides have pushed these fish into schools in potholes and along channel edges, making them easier to target. Most fish have been in the slot where we have been fishing in the Boca Ciega/ Tampa Bay area. Reports of some over-slot fish in the northern areas of our region as well as down south in Sarasota Bay, Terra Ceia Bay, and just north of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge have also been noted. The DOA Shrimp has been the hot lure for my anglers, but the DOA Deadly Tandem rig with two jigs on a rig has been catching good numbers of doubles when fished around schooling fish. I also found some good action with trout using the Berkley Stick Shad and the new Berkley Stunna 100 +1, both suspending lures while working channels. Captain Scott Moore, fishing out of Holme's Beach, reported some excellent action this week using MirrOlure's Lil' John in the Purple Demon color.

Redfish action has been steady. It hasn’t been on fire but fish are being caught. Most successful anglers using live bait, opt for live shrimp, which is producing well. Artificial bait anglers using MirrOlure Lil’ Johns, and weedless gold spoons like the Eppinger Rex Spoon are finding some good action, as have those anglers tossing a DOA 3-inch Shrimp in near clear, glow, or gold glitter colors.

Snook fishing has come to a screeching halt in these lower water temperatures. Their metabolism shuts down in cold water, and thus the requirement for food is reduced. Fish that you may find that will eat are usually found on dark mud bottoms adjacent to deep water on sunny stretches of bottom where direct sunshine heats the shallows. Many of these fish are in a cold-stressed situation and are best left alone and not targeted. If caught, sometimes the struggle of trying to escape can kill these fish.

Flounder action has been slowly rising around passes with sandy areas. Areas where changes in depth and bottom makeup are good areas for flounder as they enhance their ability to camouflage themselves to ambush their prey. Shrimp-tipped jigs might be the best for attracting these fish right now.

Sheepshead are showing up on the flats and around pilings just about everywhere along the coast. These fish are getting much fatter as they approach the spawning period over the next several months. Most will spawn on the full moon weeks but some also spawn around new moons. Next Monday’s new moon might see some of these fish more active than normal. Live fiddler crabs might be the top bait on the flats and around seawalls, pilings, and rock piles. Lower Tampa Bay has numerous areas where rock piles have been dropped from the old Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The rubble has a lot of marine growth that attracts crustaceans, and small baitfish which in turn attracts a variety of predators such as mangrove snapper, flounder, sheepshead, hogfish, and gag grouper.

FRESHWATER

Bass have been fired up with this cooler weather but right now crappie fishing is off the charts. Excellent catches of crappie are coming from Lake Tarpon in Pinellas, a variety of lakes in Polk County, and from Lake Manatee down in Bradenton. If you don’t have a bottom machine to locate specks, drift-fishing with Missouri minnows is a good way to locate these fish by having several crappie poles rigged at varying depths. The rod that goes off will usually show the most productive depth. Drop a marker buoy where the action starts and one where it ends and repeat the drift between the markers at the most productive depth. Jig fishing for speckled perch is possibly the most popular and doesn’t require keeping bait alive. A variety of crappie jigs are effective in numerous color combinations. Some very popular versions of crappie jigs come from TTI Blakemore in their Road Runner series of jigs. Grab a few handfuls of these lures and head for a lake near you and you might find some of the hottest action yet in cold weather. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Dec. 19-22 Report

Winter weather patterns seem to be making a more common appearance here on the Suncoast with varying warm and cool weather bringing on the temperature changing Yo-Yo effect rising and falling with each new cold front passage. The best advice is to “keep your knees bent.” In other words, stay flexible with your fishing plans and don’t be afraid to change them as conditions change.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Anglers hopping on board the party boats out of Hubbard’s Marine for half-day or 10-hour trips in nearshore waters are finding some nice flounder around bottom areas with varying depth and composition. Sand meeting shell, rock meeting sand, ledges and depth changes all attract flounder that have the amazing ability to change coloration to match the bottom they lie on. They can change much like the chameleon. Flounder will take shrimp readily, but cut or live baitfish will also work. If using small pinfish, whitebait, threadfins, or others, in this cooler water clipping the tail to slow the bait’s ability to swim very quickly will often produce more fish as it’s easier for the flattie to catch it. Live shrimp with the tip of the tail removed will also slow it down as well as exude some scent that will attract these fish. You’ll often find them wherever you will catch hogfish. Most anglers dropping live shrimp for the hogfish may also see flounder on the line. Shrimp are more easily digestible in cooler water and often preferred by most species during the winter, both inshore and nearshore. Sheepshead are also in the catch in nearshore waters, and sand fleas and shrimp used for hogfish work well on Sheepies, grunts, assorted snappers, porgies, sea bass, and other nearshore/offshore species.

Offshore anglers are doing well with triggerfish, hogfish and mangrove snapper. Federally permitted charter boats fishing for red snapper are limiting out daily. Hubbard’s 39-hour trips are finding some big gag groupers and red grouper for release. Almaco jacks, yellowtail, mangrove, a few muttons and plenty of vermilion snappers have also been chewing. Blackfin tuna, kingfish and scamp grouper have also been landed well offshore.

INSHORE

Water temperatures have been running between 60 and 65 degrees in the mid-portion of the region. All but snook can tolerate this temperature range. It’ll slow down mangrove snapper as well but it’s not as detrimental to them as it is with snook that can die in very cold conditions. We won’t find a lot of baitfish on the flats this time of year, but shrimp will be your go-to bait for everything on the flats right now.

Tripletail are being caught but most anglers aren’t targeting them with all the trout and redfish that have been available. But checking out the multitude of flotsam in the bays and along the Gulf will give you plenty of shots at these fish. Live shrimp and small jigs are good baits for these fish.

Sizes of trout have ranged widely, showing that there are multiple year classes available. Ranging from 8 to 25 inches, trout have been hitting shrimp under popping corks or the artificial version from DOA Lures called the Deadly Combo. Freelining live shrimp or drifting a DOA Shrimp in the current will produce flounder, sheepshead, trout, redfish, jacks, ladyfish and many other species. In the long run it’s less expensive and less mess to deal with to use the artificial and you don’t have to worry about keeping it alive.

Redfish have been showing up around passes in good numbers with many sub-slot fish. Other areas of Tampa Bay have been holding some big over-slot reds. Gold Eppinger Rex Spoons, Johnson Silver Minnow spoons and Huntington Drone spoons have all taken some nice reds. Residential canals with good depth and older docks have been holding snook. Dark muddy bottoms are holding heat and some snook and reds in the deeper turns of creeks and rivers. Tannin-stained or murky water will retain heat better than clear water. Pay close attention to your thermometer on your bottom machine if you have one and note the temperature in the various areas you are fishing and the kind of activity you find at each area.

For the youngsters who just want anything to put a bend in their rods, lots of jacks and ladyfish are around and will take just about any kind of fast-moving flashy jig. We got into a mess of them using CAL Shads from DOA Lures, and kids love that kind of action. We’ve found a few flounder in the past week while fishing channels on the flats. We have been catching them on DOA Shrimp and MirrOlure Lil’ John jerk baits. Maintaining contact with the bottom is crucial when fishing for these fish. If you have a difficult time doing that, either slow your presentation down or use a heavier jig head. I typically use a quarter-ounce jig head while fishing depths of 2 to 6 feet. For deeper water or water with faster running current I’ll use a 3/8-ounce jig head. A variety of colors of soft plastic tails will work as well as shapes like grub tails, jerk baits, shrimp, and curly tails will all work.

FRESHWATER

Cold, blustery days make it difficult for fly anglers to fish rivers, creeks and lakes with lots of overhanging trees or vegetation. Casting accurately in a breeze takes practice and experience that still might leave you swearing at a last-second gust of wind on a long cast that puts one of your prized hand-tied flies in the trees or bushes. Picking a day when winds die and high pressure moves in and a bluebird sky appears offers other obstacles, such as fish with lock jaw. Maybe it’s time to break out the cane poles or extendable crappie poles and go speck fishing. This time of year is excellent for these tasty fish. If you find this region too cold for your bones to fish, Captain Angie Douthit who runs charters on world famous Lake Okeechobee can host a day on the water for you with warmer temperatures and plenty of action with big bass, bluegill and all the crappie you like. Just show up with your camera for the lunkers and a cooler for the crappie and you have it made. Captain Angie will do the rest. If you need to book a place to stay, Capt. Angie might even have some hotels that offer discounts for her clients. To book a trip with Capt. Douthit, call her cell phone at 863-228-7263 or go to her website at www.southfloridabassfishing.com. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Dec. 13-15 Report

Recent weather is beginning to show some signs of winter patterns. We have seen the yo-yo effect of warm weather followed by cooler weather, but this week might be a bit more extreme than previous weeks. By mid-week, our water temperature in Boca Ciega Bay and around some of the passes varied between 60 and 65 degrees. With air temperatures expected to fall into the 30s to the north, and 40s by Thursday in much of our region, you can expect to see another drop in water temperature as well. Again, we should see some warming by the weekend, but make your presentations of baits slow to lethargic fish.

The most recent red tide sampling shows scattered patches of low to medium levels of the bloom from south Pinellas down to Marco Island.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

At its December meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued an executive order to close the recreational harvest of lane snapper in Florida Gulf state waters starting Dec. 13. Harvest will remain closed through Dec. 31, and will reopen on Jan. 1, 2025, consistent with the closure in adjacent Gulf federal waters.

Hogfish continue to please anglers working from 40 feet out while dropping live shrimp. Nearshore trips are producing good action with Spanish mackerel to about 5 pounds.

Boats heading out beyond 120-foot depths are seeing some of the most consistent fishing right now. At those depths and beyond, the water temperature is stable, so the metabolism of most fish doesn’t change much. Reports have been excellent this past week, with a wide variety of fish being caught. Mangrove snapper action has been steady with a few mangos over six pounds being caught. Capt. Dylan Hubbard out of Hubbard’s Marina says they have had a good bite on cut threadfin herring and live shrimp for mangos but the largest fish caught have come on live pinfish. Yellowtail and vermilion snapper have been caught on assorted cut baits. Porgies and Almaco jacks have been caught in the same areas.

Pelagics have been actively feeding well offshore and some kingfish topping 30 pounds have been caught along with some blackfin tunas over deep water wrecks and hard bottom. Scamp grouper and triggerfish have also been in the catch.

INSHORE

The trout bite has been pretty consistent. Lower tides this past week produced some action in channels near passes and pinch points where water was moving a little faster. By far, the DOA shrimp out-produced other artificials we fished this week. However, the old tried and true bucktails from local manufacturer Pumpkin Jigs picked up some nice trout and flounder. The 3-inch DOA Shrimp model in clear with gold glitter and the glow colors attracted the most fish. In addition to catching some quality trout to 21 inches, sheepshead, flounder, jacks, redfish, ladyfish, and a few others were caught on the shrimp. Live shrimp will work well since it’s possibly the most available on the flats for game fish to eat.

Whiting and pompano have been caught around the passes from Pass-A-Grille to John’s Pass in Pinellas. A few were also reported being caught down near Longboat Pass and New Pass in Sarasota. Good action was seen on these fish around the passes on Doc’s Goofy Jigs.

With the snook season being closed now and water temperatures down in the low 60s and upper 50s, it might be best to not target them. Cold water stresses the snook and the stress of being caught in cold conditions can add to their release mortality.

FRESHWATER

Cold fronts and blustery winds have arrived, but it seems not many are complaining about it. It seems the panfish and bass take it all in stride, and speckled perch actually thrive in cold conditions. You’ll likely find them spawning over the next several months along with largemouth bass. Crappie jigs like those from T.T.I. Blakemore with their Road Runner lures will take some big specks this time of year.

Bedding bass can be found in some areas around the perimeter of lakes near the banks. A dished-out spot ranging from a foot or so in diameter to several feet is usually a sign of bedding activity. Natural predators to bass that are spawning are salamanders, eel-like creatures, water snakes and similar creatures that you can find in the stores that are made of soft plastics. Bluegill also have predatory instincts around bass beds and try to feed on the eggs that are laid. The protective male bass attempts to ward off all attacks on the nest or bed. The Berkley Gilly is a productive lure when fished around bass beds.

Fly anglers will find worm imitations to be very productive for panfish. Small poppers or foam spiders will get some action from both bass and bluegill in warmer sunny mornings. With the holidays just around the corner, many are taking some vacation days and getting on the water. If you haven’t tried fly fishing, it might be a great time to visit a local tackle shop and pick up a starter kit that includes a rod, reel, fly line, and leader. Several manufacturers offer these starter rods for around $100. The shops can usually suggest flies that work well for your area. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later.

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Dec. 5-8 Report

The year is winding down and the fishing is heating up, as long as you pay attention to the changing conditions with weather, tides and atmospheric conditions, and slow your presentations down.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

No matter whether you’re fishing just off the beaches or in 60 feet of water, it seems one of the best bets right now is hogfish. Add to that a bunch of white grunts, some grits, baked beans and potato salad and you have the makings of a great fish fry. Starting in about 30 to 40 feet of water dropping some live shrimp will get the day going and the fish chewing. Removing the tip of the tail will release scent from the shrimp, attracting snapper, grunts and finally hogfish. Several glassy smooth days between fronts can make for banner days of fishing for both nearshore and offshore waters. The long-range trips aboard boats out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass in Madeira Beach have been outstanding with banner catches of a huge variety of fish. Right after cold fronts blow through, fish are feeding with reckless abandon after having to hunker down on ledges and high relief of hard bottom. Anglers taking trips on one of these federally permitted charter boats are finding good numbers of red snapper that are open to those charter boats. The recreational red snapper quota was met, so there is no fall season for red snapper for the recreational sector. A variety of snappers in addition to American reds are being caught with good numbers of lane, yellowtail and vermilions in the mix, along with a few mangrove snapper. In recent weeks even a few mutton snapper were caught. Kingfish are being caught while trolling lipped plugs and Huntington Drone Spoons, and many are in the 20-to 30-plus pound range. The best depths for kings as a rule of thumb, is wherever you find clean water. This can start just off the beaches but go all the way out to deep water wrecks. A few blackfin tunas have come over the rails and good numbers of gag and red grouper are being caught and released, since they are out of season. Amberjacks have been caught on the offshore springs.

INSHORE

Water temperatures have fallen into the mid-50s, and perhaps lower to the northern portion around Hernando. A later start in mid-morning might be more productive as the sun begins to warm the waters. Fishing the sunny side of residential canals and mangroves can up your odds of a hook-up. Working baits, especially artificials very slowly, is the key now for catching fish. Terry Lee Gillingham of St. Petersburg reported good action with over-slot trout just off the beaches using a Doc’s Goofy Jig. Also in the catch are hogfish, white grunts, sheepshead, and pompano.

Spotted seatrout seem to be loving this cold snap. Live shrimp fished under popping corks with about 2 to 3 feet of 15-pound test leader fished over patches of grass and sand in 3 to 6 feet of water will typically find some rod-bending action. A host of soft-plastic lures like the DOA Shrimp, CAL Jig with a Shad tail or MirrOlure Lil’ Johns will all get the nod from hungry trout. A tandem rigged jig set-up will be terrific for boating numbers of these fish. The cooler waters invigorate the fish, and they fight a little harder this time of year because of it. The secret to catching doubles on this rig is that once a first fish is hooked, keep the rod bent but reel the fish in slowly. As the fish shakes its head from side-to-side, the second jig will dart with every head shake, attracting another trout. This is a great time of year to target schooling trout. Coming off the new moon last week and with northerly breezes, tides will be lower than the predictions, forcing trout to lay up in potholes and just off the edges of channels. It’s not uncommon to catch 50 or more trout in a day, so for easy and harmless releases, it’s best to pinch the barbs down on your hooks. Good action has been reported from spots around Boca Ciega Bay, Fort Desoto, Sarasota Bay near New Pass, at Key Royale, Terra Ceia Bay, and along the ICW from Dunedin to Anclote Key.

Snook season closed Dec. 1. The closure that was instituted decades ago was to preserve these temperature-sensitive fish during periods of extreme cold. When water temperatures fall below the mid-60s, these fish become very sluggish, and if prolonged cold weather pushes the temperature much below that, these fish can be stunned and appear to be dead or dying and lay on the bottom. It’s best to just leave the fish alone and as the sun heats the water during the day, the fish will slowly recuperate. It’s best to avoid targeting snook during periods of extreme cold. While they will bite a live shrimp or artificial shrimp, the struggle to get free could stress the fish to its death.

Flounder season reopened last Sunday, Dec. 1. Fish have been caught on nearshore artificial reefs as well as around sandy areas with good moving water such as passes. Small pinch points in bays can be very productive where there is a combination of changes such as bottom make-up with grass, sand, shell, dark and light-colored areas, as well as depth. Using jig heads with a little heavier weight will help keep the jig on the bottom where it needs to be to attract these fish. Jigs tipped with a tiny bit of fresh shrimp will enhance the bite. My go-to rig is a ¼-ounce jighead with a CAL Shad or MirrOlure Lil’ John soft plastic body. In depths greater than 8-feet or in faster moving water, a heavier 3/8 or even a ½ oz. jig head helps keep the jig down.

Redfish have been laid up in the shallows over dark muddy bottoms. These areas that are adjacent to some deep waters are prime holding areas for reds to sit while waiting on a rising tide and warmer incoming water. As this occurs, metabolism of the fish begins to stir, encouraging the fish to feed. Fishing the shallows, I like lures that land silently on the water to avoid spooking fish. Areas that are sheltered from the wind will likely have clear water conditions, so keeping a low profile is important to stealth and avoid these easily spooked fish.

Offerings in a crab pattern, for fly fishers will be readily eaten with a good presentation. Very light jig heads such as 1/16 oz. or 1/8 oz. with a small soft plastic body grub tail such as a jerk bait or Berkley Gulp! are good choices.

If you’ve been on the flats over the past few months, you’ve seen sheepshead invading the flats in increasing numbers. Most will be found feeding on oyster bars, around barnacle encrusted pilings, and rock piles. I’ve found that while these fish will take a DOA Shrimp, there are few artificials that will consistently catch these striped bait-stealers. A bit of fresh shrimp, a live fiddler crab, and even a few barnacles threaded on a hook will all be eaten by these fish. Docks, bridges and piers are excellent areas to find sheepies around the pilings. Scraping a few barnacles off the pilings and allowing them to fall into the water can create a stream of chum that will attract these fish and turn on a bite.

FRESHWATER

Bass fishing has taken off over the past few weeks. Reports of fish bedding around the perimeter of lakes is common. Soft plastic creature baits like eels, the DOA Sna-Koil, or salamanders are excellent. The Berkley Powerbait Gilly can be super effective around beds. Bladed jigs like the Chatterbait become more effective this time of year around a little deeper water.

The crappie bite continues to improve by the day and with water temperatures falling, these fish are getting actively aggressive as they prepare to spawn. Look for these fish where there is good depth, ranging from 10 to 20 feet and more. Fish will be schooling, so a fish finder will help locate fish or you can drift fish using Missouri Minnows or slow-troll Blakemore Road Runner Slab Runners, Slab Draggers or Crappie X-Tractors for an easy laid-back day of fishing. Hang on to that rod because the big ones are getting even bigger. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Nov . 29-Dec. 1 Report

Cold fronts will become more common over the next few months as the winter season settles in. We can expect some breezy conditions and big temperature swings that will stir things up for fish. A steady bite may be hard to come by but fish will definitely chew when the conditions are right and it’s usually at the beginning of a “weather window”, the time after a front passes just as the barometric pressure is beginning to rise and the skies are clearing.

Some areas, particularly to the south around Manatee and Sarasota waters are seeing some lower levels of red tide algae bloom. Fish kill reports have not come in other than around Englewood and Boca Grande. If you do see a fish kill, call the Fish Kill Hotline at 1 (800) 636-0511 and report it.

The Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday might see a few boats out as the turkey and stuffing digest, but whether it’s a parade or football games that keeps you glued to the TV at home or just the stuffing and leftover pumpkin pie, this is a great weekend ahead.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

For those itching to get out but offshore winds and seas might be more than they want to deal with, nearshore waters continue to produce excellent catches of hogfish. Some catches of tripletail have also been reported along with a variety of snappers. On those big boat days when it’s a little too sporty for a bay boat, some of the bigger party boats have made the runs offshore and produced some fantastic catches with a big variety of species. There has been an extension of red snapper for federally permitted boats and anglers targeting red snapper have had some phenomenal catches. One of the party boats out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass in Madeira Beach on a 44-hour trip came to the docks with at least a dozen mutton snappers up to 10-pounds. Mangrove and some big “flag” yellowtail snappers were caught. Scamp grouper were also in the haul of fish along with some nice kingfish, a few Spanish mackerel, porgies, almaco jacks, blackfin tunas, and roughly 40 triggerfish. What a great variety for this long-range trip. In addition to the fish brought back, the group caught and released over 100 gag grouper and were broken off by some huge fish. Hubbard mentioned that red snapper for federally permitted vessels will see red snapper open until the end of the year. They are booking both 44 and 39-hour trips as well as 12-hour extreme trips that will all get you to some fishy waters. Capt. Will said that there was very little current out there which made anchoring and bottom fishing very good.

INSHORE

This has been a great weather week with lighter winds and cool mornings followed by a good warming afternoon of sunshine that fish are responding to after a huge water temperature drop last week of nearly 18-degrees in some areas. The warmer weather this week has just about shaken off the shock of the change, allowing anglers to catch a variety of fish on the inshore waters around the region. Good numbers of trout are being caught. Most were still hanging in deeper holes with cooler water temperatures around. Some of the larger fish might be found in the shallows on a sunny side of a spoil island over darker bottom. While many are shorts that need to be carefully released, some have been in the upper slot and some well over. Anglers may keep three fish in the 15 to 19-inch slot with one fish over the 19-inch maximum in our region.

Redfish are finding some warmer areas of the shallows in backcountry areas that are sheltered from the winds. Find these dark mud bottom bars that are exposed to direct sunlight, and you’ll find a bunch of reds. Lures that land very quietly on the water can avoid spooking these fish. Casting beyond the fish so as to not spook them and using a very slow retrieve will usually get a bite from a sunning redfish. Fly anglers using long leaders can present a fly to these fish quietly and usually get a good hook up. Waters will be ultra-clear in most areas that are sheltered and for long range sight-fishing I highly recommend a good pair of polarized sunglasses like those from Costa Del Mar. I typically use an amber, copper, or vermillion colored lens for sight-fishing. They give excellent contrast making it easier to spot fish laying on the bottom. If I’m using spinning gear, I will take a DOA Shrimp or a MirrOlure Lil John rigged on a 1/16 oz. jighead. I’ll typically use 10-pound braided line such as Berkley Fireline or Power Pro with about 2 to 3-feet of 20-pound Ande Backcounty for my leader. Both lures can skip quite well up under overhanging mangroves if necessary. Snook, trout, and redfish will all trash these baits this time of year.

Snook hightailed it up rivers and creeks and many headed into backcountry waters where they could stay warm on the last cold front. Some are poking their noses out onto the flats to feed as the sun warms the waters. The DOA Shrimp might be my most productive lure for cold water snook. Snook season closes at midnight, Saturday night, November 30.

FRESHWATER

If you haven’t done it already, dust off your freshwater gear, grab a crappie pole or a bass rod and head for a lake or river near you. Both rivers and lakes are producing good catches of speckled perch, particularly in those areas with deeper water in the 10-to 20-foot range. If you’re bass fishing, crankbaits and suspending baits are good lures for this time of year. Bladed jigs like the Z-Man ChatterBait Jackhammer are also effective.

If you’re into speck fishing or bluegills, Missouri minnows are terrific natural baits for crappie. But if you like artificials, the Crappie X-Tractor from Road Runner TTI Blakemore is terrific whether by casting or slow trolling. Red wigglers and crickets are great natural baits for bluegill.

Whatever you choose, there’s some great fishing to be had this time of year in the West Central Region. Happy Thanksgiving to all. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Nov. 22-24 Report

The cold front that moved into the West Central Region at mid-week will likely make some changes that will affect the fishing this weekend. Look for much cooler temperatures by Friday with a moderating adjustment over the weekend.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Prior to the front moving through Wednesday morning with a little rain, fish chewed hard according to reports from offshore. Some anglers fishing out more than 23 miles to the northwest out of St. Pete. reported an excellent bite from gag grouper, a variety of snappers and hogfish. The hogfish bite has been crazy starting from about 40 feet, but beyond that, according to Capt. Dylan Hubbard out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass, but once past the 50-foot mark he said there are swarms of lane snapper out to about 80 feet that make it virtually impossible to get baits down to the hogfish.

Gags are still closed yet anglers continue to pull up lots of big legal-sized fish in the 20-pound class. The depths these fish are coming from have required venting or the use of devices to alleviate barotrauma. These devices are mandatory equipment on board vessels targeting reef fish.

If people are wondering where the Spanish mackerel are, Hubbard offered up some information that helps. The 5-hour trips on Hubbard’s party boats have been catching good numbers of Spanish while trolling behind the vessels on the way out to do some nearshore bottom dropping for hogfish. Live threadfins sent out on flatlines while on the hook are also working for Spanish and even a few kings.

The Old Salt 31st Annual King of the Beach Kingfish Tournament ran last weekend at Pro Marine at Bay Pines. Everyone knew the numbers of boats would be way down due to the hurricane damage done in the area as well as a down economy. With a normal fleet of competitors running into the 500-plus boat range, the 198-boat fleet that showed up to compete did just that. The numbers of kingfish that hit the decks were down as well, but for all their trouble, still a hefty 43.79-pound kingfish was not a problem for local angler and winner of the crown, Brian Hasson, who won for the third time in four years. His boat and crew seem to have the fishery dialed in while fishing aboard his boat named 99 Problems.

While many anglers chose to head offshore with some going north, some west, some south and parts in between, Hasson chose to fish inside Tampa Bay. He said the bay was loaded with bait. Eighteen places were awarded prize money in the Open Division. The winner in the Single Engine Division with a 38.93-pound king was the vessel, Bud Leiser. In the Ladies Division, a 22.75 king picked up the first-place prize. In the Youth Division, Reel Krapf took home the top prize with a 20.40-pound kingfish. Some of these anglers traveled a distance to compete in the Traveling Anglers Division and the vessel No Limits took home the honors with a 27.09-pound king. Finally, a special prize for the kingfish weighed in that was closest to 20.24 pounds without going over was caught by Sea Shaile, weighing 18.91 pounds allowing the winner to take home an Owens & Sons Marine Inc. trailer valued at over $10,000.

Right now, we are seeing high water temperatures for this time of year, pushing 78 to 80-degrees. Normally we see low 70s this time of year, and that tends to push Panhandle migratory kingfish south in waves with each front, but because this is the first front we’ve had, we might see a lot more of these fish on the way.

For several years now, the King of the Beach Tournament has included a separate species tournament with Spanish Mackerel. Captains entering the tournament may choose to fish either or both tournaments paying out the top five places. With a Spanish mackerel weighing 4.66 pounds, the vessel Smoke on the Water took home the top prize for that tournament.

INSHORE

Varied action has been taking place from Sarasota to Hernando Beach. Some areas have seen some terrific action with redfish, others with snook, and yet some others are seeing trout with consistent action. We are finally seeing a slight drop in water temperature that is way past due. By the weekend we will see more with air temperatures expected to drop into the low 50s at night and early morning. Some of my most productive days of fishing have been around the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving. If you could produce a mirror image of the air and water temperatures for the spring you might see similar action, perhaps around late March or April.

Trout to the northern portion of the region seem to be more plentiful and larger overall. Good redfish and snook action have been the norm around the passes from Anclote Key south to Indian Rocks and John’s Pass. Snook and some big reds have been caught in the upper portion of Tampa Bay around Rocky Creek. Live pinfish have been a top natural bait along with shrimp. DOA Shrimp and the Deadly Combo have been one of my top choices for trout. On the higher tides I prefer the 3-inch glow DOA Shrimp for skipping under overhanging mangroves where I’ll find some nice redfish and snook.

Sarasota Bay has been holding some big snook as well as some over-slot snook just south of Cortez from the Kitchen south. Scattered reds have been on the Bulkhead near the mouth of the Manatee River. On the Little Manatee River and in Cockroach Bay, anglers have done well with snook and reds using the MirrOlure MirrOdine 17MR18 and the 27MR18. Topwater action here has also been very good with the Duke Dog from MirrOlure.

Waves of sheepshead continue to filter into Tampa Bay and the other coastal bays. Most are hanging on rock piles, pilings, around bridges, and oyster bars. Live fiddler crabs have been the top natural baits but live shrimp are a close second.

Several passes along the coast are seeing some action with pompano but give it a couple more weeks with some cooler weather and we could see better numbers of these fish. Tossing a Doc’s Goofy Jig is the ticket to a fantastic dinner of these tasty fish.

FRESHWATER

It’s that time of year! Yes, the crappie have begun to chew and for freshwater anglers that means it’s time to get out the Blakemore Roadrunners, and load up the tackle box with Slab Runners, Team Crappie Slab Draggers, and Crappie E-Tractors from T.T.I Blakemore. Capt. Rick Gross of Fishy Business LLC. Charters in Bradenton is in good company when he heads to some of his favorite lakes for crappie. A recent trip produced more than enough fish for a few fish fries, and possibly some new epicurean delights by smoking crappie. I haven’t tried that one yet, but Capt. Rick swears by it.

Bass action is getting good as well as speckled perch in the entire state. Capt. Angie Douthit of www.Southfloridabassfishing.com says the action is really heating up down on Lake Okeechobee. The time to book a trip is right now to get in on some exciting action ahead . Both live bait and artificials are producing some very respectable stringers of bass, bluegill, and crappie on the lake. Give her a call and book a trip with her. She can also arrange lodging for you at a reasonable price. Experience what the Big “O” is known for on your next trip. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Nov. 15-17 Report

We aren’t out of the woods yet with hurricane season. Pay attention to the tropical disturbance, Sara, that’s building and is anticipated to become a hurricane by the weekend.

What crazy fall weather we’ve been having. Record high air temperatures and bay water temps still in the upper 70’s might be making fish feel like it’s still summer, but wait … weather forecasters say we can expect a mild cold front to blow in some time early Friday, cooling off air temps to the 50’s. I have a feeling this will be just what the doctor ordered to trigger a super bite, especially with the full moon tides on Friday. If we have a dark, cloudy sky at night, I’m betting we’ll have a banner snook bite. There are only a couple of weeks left in the season. Get it while you can.

OFFSHORE/NEARSHORE

NOAA Fisheries has this important bulletin for anglers:

• The Gulf of Mexico federal red snapper federal for-hire season will reopen at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 18, 2024, and will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2025.
• The 2024 Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishing season in federal waters for vessels with federal for-hire (charter/headboat) reef fish permits was 88 days (opened June 1, 2024, and closed at 12:01 a.m. local time on August 28, 2024).
• Based on updated landings data, NOAA Fisheries determined that the red snapper recreational federal for-hire annual catch target was not reached during the open season. Therefore, NOAA Fisheries is reopening the season to provide Gulf of Mexico federally permitted for-hire fishermen opportunity to catch the remaining allocation.
• Private Anglers Note: This reopening does not affect the recreational private angler season, which is determined by state agencies. Please check with your state agency for information on your state’s red snapper fishing season.

While this may not affect most of you who have your own boats, those of you who don’t may want to hook up with a charter/head boat that is licensed to fish for red snapper during this period. The party boats out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass will be specifically running special red snapper trips targeting them. Make reservations right away with your favorite charter captain who is federally permitted for some great-eating fish!

The majority of anglers I’m getting reports from have been targeting nearshore species. Hogfish takes the top targeted position. Along with them anglers have been catching mangrove, lane, and vermilion snappers, pogies, sheepshead, flounder, and a few others.

In case you haven’t heard, the 31st Annual Old Salt Fall King of the Beach Kingfish Tournament is this weekend out of Pro Marine Boat Sales in St. Petersburg, 9401 Bay Pines Blvd.

INSHORE

Anglers fishing from boats are finding quite a bit of debris still in the water and using caution is extremely important. Along with floating debris, there are plenty of limbs and branches from broken trees, shrubs, and mangroves that have gone into the water making jigs with exposed hooks hang up where this subsurface debris has settled. Using weedless Texas-style rigs with soft plastics like the CAL Jerk bait or MirrOlure Lil’ John or Provokers, have garnered a ton of attention from snook, trout, and redfish. Weedless spoons, such as the Eppinger Rex or Johnson’s Silver Minnow in gold color have been effective for redfish in the back waters and also snook around the insides of passes. Look for snook to be staging up around the points and passes with any kind of structure this weekend with the full moon creating some good moving water. The incoming cold front could push water out of the bays as long as it has a northerly component, making for some extra low tides. Fish will drop off into channels or into potholes.

Topwater action has been explosive and I’m betting as the waters cool this weekend, and approach the lower 70’s this bite will get even better. Good action with the Heddon Super Spook Jr. for trout has been noted, but most of the larger trout, at 25-plus inches, have been hitting either the MirrOlure 94MR18 Top Dog or the 5M24 MirrOlure prop bait. They have been especially effective on the breezy days, but on the days with lighter winds, I’m see the MirrOlure Duke Dog, that was introduced last year, outpace just about all the other topwaters in numbers of fish caught.

A few flounder have been caught, but the season remains closed through the end of the month. Most have been found around sandy passes with some kind of structure on the bottom.

The occasional pompano have been seen skipping along the edges of sand bars inside Tampa Bay from the Skyway to Bishop’s Harbor. We catch a few on CAL Jigs with Shad tails while targeting flounder, but Doc’s Goofy Jigs usually takes top honors for getting these tasty silvery fish.

A few Spanish mackerel have been caught out around the Egmont Key Ship’s Channel as it comes into Tampa Bay. Target these fish around bait schools using fast-moving flashy jigs or spoons. Check out channel markers and range markers in the bay for both Spanish and tripletail using live shrimp either freelined or using a popping cork.

FRESHWATER

Crappie fishing is underway, but will continue to improve as we get into some cooler winter weather. Bass action has also seen an increase with water temperatures falling slightly. We are about to see an explosion in action with these and many other freshwater species like bluegill, catfish, and more. Dust off your fly rod, spinning rod, baitcaster, or heck, even your cane pole and get out on the water for some great fall fishing! ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Nov. 7-11 Report

Breezy conditions this week made it tough for some to get on the water, for others, there continues to be a smattering of red tide around but fish kills in our region have not been reported.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

The 31st Annual Old Salt Fall King of the Beach Kingfish Tournament has been postponed until next week, the 14th- 16th at Pro Marine in Bay Pines. See the Old Salt website for details. www.oldsaltfishing.org. The question for the tournament might be where are the kingfish? Recent easterly winds make nearshore water flat out for a few miles that usually keeps the water clear, but over the past few weeks mild blooms of red tide that have been along coastal waters from Cape Coral to Clearwater may have discouraged fish from moving in close to feed on bait schools that were along the beaches. Few anglers have reported catching either kingfish or Spanish mackerel, the two targeted species for the tournament.

Nearshore waters have been a best bet for anglers over the past several days with east winds keeping seas relatively flat. Good catches of hogfish are being brought to the docks for anglers working depths ranging from 40 to 60 feet. A variety of snappers is also being caught, with lane, vermilion and mangrove snappers being the most plentiful.

A few flounder have been caught and released by anglers using shrimp-tipped jigs on some of the artificial reefs off Pinellas. The seasonal closure for flounder ends at midnight Nov. 30.

Passes from Madeira Beach to Pass-A-Grille have been holding some pompano lately. While most local anglers have preferred locally made Doc’s Goofy Jigs for pompano for years, several anglers have had some success using small slow-pitch jigs with good success.

INSHORE

It’s been a mixed bag of what anglers have reported catching recently. Red tide that has been reported for the past several weeks has yet to be shown in bay waters but areas in the Gulf have seen most of the bloom. Recent easterly winds are likely holding the algae bloom out of the bays.

Capt. Scott Moore of Moore Fishing Charters out of Home’s Beach reports plenty of smaller schoolie trout in deeper waters, along with some scattered larger trout being caught in Manatee waters. While many of his clients use live bait, Moore commented that a noisy topwater lure like the 94MR18 MirrOlure Top Dog is an incredibly effective lure this time of year when we have overcast skies with a breeze on the water. I’ll agree wholeheartedly. Another favorite for the current recent conditions is the 5M21 MirrOlure, which is another topwater lure with twin propellers that will churn up the surface, attracting just about anything that swims near them.

Bright sunny days with low water pushes trout, reds, flounder, sheepshead and sometimes snook out off the edges of channels to deeper water. For trout, I love fishing tandem-rigged curly tail jigs, such as the DOA Deadly Tandem. These can be deadly on both speckled and silver trout and at times will result in double hook-ups with two fish at a time. But any of these species will eat these lures.

Redfish have shown up inside some of the bays around oyster bars and in swash channels around mangrove islands. Many of the barrier islands will hold redfish on the northwest facing side of these islands where strong winter winds dig out ruts along the corner of these islands leaving slightly deeper troughs for fish to hold in. Three-inch CAL Shads are a go-to lure along with a gold spoon such as the Eppinger ¼ oz. Rex Spoon, especially where there is floating grass or debris on the surface. Backcountry areas with oyster bars or sand bars during rough weather can be optimal staging areas for redfish looking for some cleaner water to rest in. MirrOlure’s Lil’ John jerk bait rigged on a 1/8 or 1/16 oz. jig head can be irresistible to redfish. Watermelon/ red flake-colored tails are a local favorite. If water color is tinted or turbid, I like the sour lemon color. It’s bright and stands out in murky water.

Water temperature in Tampa Bay was sitting at 79 degrees on Thursday, which is very warm for this time of year. Low 70’s is the norm, with usually encourages more baitfish to leave the flats for deeper nearshore waters, attracting mackerel and kings to the area.

Snook continue to be out on the open flats and on points, and along bars and swash channels. Approaching next Friday’s full moon should make for some great ambush fish opportunities. With a few weeks left in the snook season, the pressure to catch a legal fish may be increasing.

FRESHWATER

Some may not think of crappie fishing until it gets much cooler but if you’re not thinking about it, you’re missing a lot of fish. Capt. Angie Douthit, fishing Lake Okeechobee, has seen some banner catches of speckled perch, a.k.a. crappie, being caught along with some big bass. She says the speck fishing should continue through to next spring.

Locally, Capt. Rick Gross, out of Bradenton and Fishy Business LLC has been making his way to some freshwater lakes in the area and catching some hefty stringers of big crappie. Anglers fishing Lake Manatee are finding a good bite on bass, catfish and crappie. This is a great time to be on the water fishing for these species. Don’t forget your license, catch a bunch and put a few in the cooler for me too. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Oct. 31-Nov. 3 Report

I don’t want to sound the alarm, but we have had varying levels of red tide algae bloom increasing from Fort Myers Beach to Clearwater for the past several weeks. This past week, Boca Grande anglers reported fish kills and south of that, high levels of the bloom were noted in a sample in the area. In the West Central Region, most levels are low or very low, but the presence is enough to pay close attention to concerning fish kills. Several captains reported baitfish dying in live wells.

On another subject, don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

NEARSHORE/OFFSHORE

Several water samples showed low levels of red tide in waters west to almost 10 miles off Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota counties were noted at mid-week. Anglers have not reported fish kills in these areas but it’s possible that the bloom could move some fish and a consideration for those bottom fishing to take note.

Despite areas with patchy red tide blooms, there have been several good reports from anglers working depths from 40 to 80 feet catching good numbers of hogfish.

Here we at the first of November, yet very few reports of Spanish mackerel are noted. The Spanish are usually showing up by now and are the forerunners of the kingfish migration south from the Panhandle.

Recreational harvest of greater amberjacks closes Nov. 1. Good numbers of snappers continue to be caught in depths ranging from 60 to 120 feet of water. Mangrove, vermilion, lane, and a few mutton snappers have been in the catch. With breezy conditions recently many anglers have stuck to nearshore waters catching white grunts, hogfish, mangrove and lane snappers for the most part. The occasional cobia has been caught along with a few tripletail around debris that has been found floating in the Gulf.

Next week, Nov. 7-9 the 31st Annual Fall King of the Beach Tournament is scheduled to be held at Pro Marine at Bay Pines, Fla. The change of location was due to the recent hurricanes and issues caused by them. But it is definitely ON! Pro Marine is located at 9293 Bay Pines Blvd, in St. Petersburg. Registration at the venue begins at 5 pm with the captain’s meeting, rules and party to follow.

INSHORE

Opportunities have been all over the charts lately with fishing inshore. Some areas are having fantastic catches of both snook and redfish, while others have seen some big trout moving in. Absent are Spanish mackerel in good numbers that we typically see this time of year, and of course, the kingfish numbers have been pretty slim as well, but it could be that due to sea conditions, anglers may not be getting offshore as far as they might to catch the smoker kings.

Also, somewhat sparse are the populations of flounder in this area. But since the species is closed through the month of November, most anglers are not even considering targeting them for catch-and-release.

Pompano have been where you find them, sort of here today and gone tomorrow, not staying in one location for long. Those anglers who have been lucky enough to find them are catching pomps in the 2- to 4-pound range with most being caught on Doc’s Goofy Jigs.

The upper portion of Tampa Bay seems to be holding some upper and over-slot redfish that have been pretty consistent. Snook have been available as well for anglers tossing live bait.

FRESHWATER

We can’t say that fishing has returned to normal in the lakes and rivers with lake and river levels being so high, but the fishing has been quite good. Capt. Rick Gross who runs Fishy Business Charters out of Bradenton reports anglers having decent catches of early-season speckled perch. That fishery along with bass and freshwater catfish will steadily improve over the coming months. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Oct. 25-27 Report

The aftermath of hurricanes can leave a path of destruction, but in some cases, a silver lining may follow the dark clouds of these storms. Nearly 200 years ago, a pass in Little Sarasota Bay, then called Buccaneer Pass and later renamed Midnight Pass existed.

The pass allowed good flowing water and a thriving area for snook, trout, redfish and many other species. Storms and manmade changes continually moved channels and spoils around the pass creating stability issues for homeowners and ultimately ending up closing the pass.

It has been a controversial issue and due to Hurricane Milton, Mother Nature has reopened the pass, leaving a channel 10 feet deep on high tides and as low as 5 feet on the extreme lows.

The future of Little Sarasota Bay continues to have questions but with these current changes, I would expect big improvements for the near future for the fishing in Little Sarasota Bay but for the long-term, it’s anyone’s guess.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

The past several weeks have been rough on the charter boat industry because of the hurricanes, the damage they have caused, and the blow to the local economy along our coast. There are many signs in Gulf waters that coastal damage have occurred with so much floating and subsurface debris littering inshore, nearshore and offshore waters. For those who are finally able to get offshore, the nearshore full day trips are producing good catches of hogfish, lane snapper, mangrove snapper, white grunts and some other species, according to Capt. Dylan Hubbard out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass in Madeira Beach. Their 10-hour all day trips are crushing it.

If you are finally able to get on the water, take extra precautions in watching for flotsam and objects just slightly submerged that can damage hulls in a collision. While you’re being extra vigilant, you’ll notice that stone crab traps are now in the water since the reopening of the season on October 15. Not only will the flotsam attract tripletail but also these traps and their floats and lines are attracting marine growth that in turn lure small baitfish and other forage that tripletail and other species will eat. Double-checking every object you see on the water can give you some extra opportunities to put fish in the cooler. Also to note, these traps are nearly always placed on areas of hard bottom, and some of those spots offer only small relief of maybe a foot or so change in depth. These areas are prime for hogfish. Take a lot of shrimp with you if that’s your targeted species, because hogs are known to lack aggressiveness and getting in on a feeding frenzy. They typically will sit back until the majority of the feeding is over and then move in to feed. Going through hundreds of shrimp on a good bite is not uncommon.

INSHORE

Results anglers are having inshore depend on so many different factors right now. Most area waters continue to be stirred up from the hurricanes, but incoming tides can be more productive with cleaner waters coming in from the Gulf around passes along the coast. Very good action with snook has been noted around the passes with snook feeding well during lower light conditions. Pinfish with tails cut to slow swimming speed and exude scent are working well for snook while the DOA Deep Running Baitbuster or DOA TerrorEyz lures are having good hook-ups from artificial bait users.

The upper portion of Tampa Bay has seen pretty good action with redfish chewing up in the upper reaches around Oldsmar. Incoming tides in that area have produced good results.

Areas north of Clearwater from Dunedin to Tarpon Springs have produced good catches of speckled trout for anglers tossing the Berkley Stick Shad or the 17MR MirrOdines from MirrOlure. Early morning topwater action has been good around some of the spoil islands for anglers working walk-the-dog type lurs like the Zara Spook Jr., Berkley Cane Walker 110, and MirrOlure Duke Dog or Top Dog.

Some areas in our northern region from Anclote to Hernando Beach have reported catching some nice flounder. It’s nice to see them as they have not been that prolific in the Tampa Bay area that much in the past several years other than on nearshore reefs. However, a seasonal closure exists for flounder through the end of November for possession.

FRESHWATER

Rivers in Florida continue to be over their normal levels. Downed trees in some cases have restricted the flow of these rivers. But blowdowns along lakes and river banks can create some structure that can be very beneficial to bank anglers. Pitching jigs and soft plastic creature baits or worms can be very productive almost any time of year. If this situation is one you find where you fish, give pitching or flipping a try and see if you don’t hook some lunker bass. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Oct. 4-6 Report

This past week was one for the record books in terms of weather. Hurricane Helene left a wake of destruction and death in multiple states beginning in Florida. While not in the direct path of this Category 4 storm, the West Central Region still was heavily impacted by flooding. It destroyed homes and businesses that will likely take years to repair or replace.

OFFSHORE/NEARSHORE

In the immediate future, there will be a tremendous amount of flotsam in the Gulf and bays, making running in these areas very hazardous. Some objects may float, while others will be slightly submerged or sunken. Make sure you are vigilant while running or traversing all areas. If possible, have another person maintain a watch while running. A second set of eyes could help avert impact with debris in the water. On that note, tripletail love to hang around all kinds of structures. This is an excellent time to rig a couple of rods and slowly approach debris in the water and look for these fish. Sight-fishing for them is not that difficult. Using live shrimp or an artificial shrimp like those from DOA, Berkley, or Savage Gear rigged under a popping cork.

Gulf waters remain stirred up having limited visibility for both humans and fish. This can make it more difficult for fish to find food. Something with some scent, or an artificial lure that gives off flash, vibration, or a combination of these attributes can attract fish in these poor conditions.

Many boat ramps are still closed or have limited open times. Others are damaged. Be sure you find out in advance which ramps are affected. The FWC maintains a website with pages that show boat ramps that are open or closed at https://myfwc.com/boating/boat-ramps-access/.

INSHORE

Inshore fishing has been very difficult at best, and most anglers are still in a clean-up mode from the store. With numerous ramps closed or with limited hours, getting on the water might be difficult right now. Inshore waters are not good at all right now. Many areas have toxic waste that was dumped during the hurricane and storm water runoff from streets has added contaminates to the water. Many areas are unsafe for swimming, so that also means wade fishing without protective waders should be avoided and hand sanitizer should be used if you have contact with the water. Stay tuned to local governmental agencies listing areas that are safe for swimming or wading. This past Wednesday's new moon could help clean up the turbidity in inshore waters. But mostly time will allow settling of the waters.

FRESHWATER

Many lakes, ponds, and rivers are chucked full of debris and objects that can create navigational hazards. Lake levels in most areas will be above normal levels making fishing a tougher sport for finding and catching fish. It might be best to sit it out for a week or so to let things settle before heading to your favorite honey holes. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

AMENDMENT 2

In the upcoming Nov. 5th election. Vote yes on Amendment 2, securing your right to hunt and fish.

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Sep 27-29 Report

Fishing in a hurricane…is not advisable. But if you could get out offshore a couple of days prior to the approach of the storm you might see some banner action if conditions are not too hazardous. At least inshore anglers might have a shot at it before it gets too rough, but wisdom might take over for the offshore guys, and sitting at home watching the grass grow might be a better option. It’s times like this that makes one ask, “to fish, or not to fish.”

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Leave a float plan!!! Leave a float plan!!! Leave a float plan!!! This makes it much easier to find the bodies and salvage the vessel to sell for parts. It’s always good to check safety equipment out before you leave the dock, especially if the conditions may warrant the use of some of it; you know, flares, PFDs, EPIRB, and those kinds of things. Be sure your PFDs are the right size. It’s the law that these things fit. They can save your life. This weekend may be a tough one to get offshore as the residual effects from the storm brewing in the Gulf and running up toward the Panhandle will churn things up, making it tough for fish to find food. But if you’re a diehard and do happen to make it offshore, in these conditions, making it easier for fish to find your bait is the best bet for catching a few. Fresh-cut dead bait won’t try to elude a fish. Stinky bait like squid added to a cut pinfish, sardine, ladyfish, or threadfin can do some damage and put a few fish in the box. Live shrimp, for some species, are the way to go, and if they don’t get chewed on much, you can always take the hand-picks home for a shrimp cocktail. They are slow-moving, and tasty, especially with cocktail sauce. Just be sure and keep them fresh and alive.

Once this storm passes, be extra careful in keeping an eye out for submerged objects. Portions of docks are known to get ripped out of their normal places and will be found well offshore. Some will be floating, and when you do see flotsam, be sure and approach it slowly, keeping your eyes peeled for tripletail, dolphin, cobia or other species.

INSHORE

Most of us have a few honey holes that are sheltered from high winds and waves, and if they can be reached safely, they may hold some fish that are willing to chew. From my past experiences, paying close attention to the barometer will be the keys to either getting on a bite or getting off the water. A rapidly falling barometer can see a good bite fire up for maybe an hour or so, but much beyond that, the bottom drops out quickly and time will be better spent back at the humble abode kicked back in the easy chair sipping an adult beverage and watching reruns of Bonanza.

Exercising another option that might prove productive could be some land-based fishing. Perhaps donning some waders and working the shallows for a redfish, snook, or some trout is your game. Just remember to wear that belt that comes with your chest-high waders that keeps water from pouring in over the top of your waders when you step into a pothole that’s just a tad bit deeper than you thought. Don't bother thinking about the flesh-eating bacteria that could be in the water. It almost hardly never kills anyone.

Pier fishing is a safe option, and the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers are situated so that you can drive right up to where you can fish and catch fish right outside your passenger side door. This option is especially good when there are line squalls moving onshore where you can jump in the car just as it approaches, and hop back out when it passes, thus avoiding getting your knickers soggy. Of course, docks and seawalls in residential canals can be extremely active for sheepshead, mangrove snapper, flounder, redfish, and perhaps a neighbor’s rottweiler. Regardless of the weather, choose wisely.

FRESHWATER (and lots of it!)

Torrential downpours are expected from tropical weather, and this includes hurricanes. The severity of these weather systems can be best defined by using an ancient mariner’s weather meter, (AMWM). It’s a simple tool to determine the strength of the weather systems you might encounter. In some cases, there can be just as much rain in the sky as there is in the pond you’re fishing, and in such cases, a scuba tank and spear gun may be a better choice than a rod and reel, but the real determination of whether you should head out for the day will come from the AMWM. It’s a simple tool consisting of a piece of hardwood about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. A peg sits in a hole roughly the diameter of a fat earthworm about 2 inches down from the center of the top of the board, (not the 6 inches you brag about at other times, like when you share a photo of the lunker you caught and your finger is bigger than the fish) which is mounted on a palm tree on the weather side of a building. Attached to the peg is a 10-inch long polypropylene line nailed into the peg at the top of the board and knotted at the base of the line. (Poly won’t absorb water so it’s perfect for this moisture test). On a calm day that might issue no challenge to a real mariner, the knot will be steady at 6 o’clock. If the breeze is freshening and seas are just beginning to look alive, the knot will range between 8 and 4 o’clock. For some, this is about the same as the sun being over the yardarm. New boaters should stay home and watch Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. If you look at the seas and they seem to be getting angry and are spitting foam all over the place, that knot may swing wildly from 10 to 2 o’clock much like a bad pour of beer in a bar and it’s all head. For sure, at least a second thought for casting off the dock should be involved and a check of your man card. By now you’ve reached some severe conditions with a tropical storm. But checking the AMWM one last time and noting that that 12-inch length of poly has disappeared, you’ve finally entered the realm of the twilight zone where things can disappear. They call this a hurricane. Usually they give them feminine names, unless they are checking pronouns, and in that case, just stay home and watch Bill Dance and Roland Martin on TV until the power goes out. In other instances where flooding has occurred, watch for jumping mullet in the street followed by redfish.

Cheers folks, and seriously, take these stormy conditions to heart and stay safe. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later.

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Sept. 20-22 Report

We are in the peak of hurricane season here in Florida and we have tropical depression Gordon in the Caribbean that has a possibility of developing into something much larger by the weekend or the first part of next week, so be prepared.

This week’s full moon on Tuesday, the 17th, combined with a partial eclipse may have some interesting effects on fishing that will be fun to note.

OFFSHORE/NEARSHORE

With the closure of gag grouper last Sunday, anglers working offshore and in nearshore waters are turning their attention to other species to target. Because hogfish are beginning to move into shallower waters, some savvy captains are skipping the long runs to target species that are moving closer to shore, like hogfish, porgies, grunts and a variety of snappers. Captain Brian Morgan, of Captain Morgan’s Fishing Adventures out of Marine Max in St. Petersburg, has been limiting out on hogfish and adding some others to the fish box on 6-hour trips this week.

Cobia have been caught at times by anglers working wrecks, hard bottom and areas around the pipeline, and the channel markers heading out of Egmont Key Ship’s Channel. Cobia will eat a variety of lures and bait. A lively pinfish works, as do jumbo shrimp, a cut blue crab, some soft plastic eel imitations and the DOA Jumbo Shrimp. A variety of nylon-skirted jigs ranging from ¾ oz. to 2 oz. with an 8-inch soft plastic curlytail trailer works well. Some people favor black, or dark purple, but both pearl and glow have been deadly for me.

In depths beyond 120 feet of water, anglers have caught amberjacks, blackfin tuna, dolphin, an occasional wahoo or stray sailfish. Deepwater wrecks are seeing some action with kingfish at times, signaling that the run will be on the way shortly. Several reports of Spanish mackerel showing up last week are usually the precursor of the beginning of the kingfish run. That run typically peaks around Thanksgiving, so we have just about a couple of solid months of kingfish action ahead of us that will not only interest anglers who love smoked fish dip, but also tournament anglers looking to make some money looking for and catching smoker kings in a tournament.

INSHORE

Anglers fishing the Gulf fishing pier out of Fort Desoto reported catching a few pompano this week along with some anglers fishing around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Most were caught on Doc’s Goofy Jigs in yellow and white color combination with either a pink or yellow teaser attached. To the north, reports of a few pompano were caught near Clearwater Pass.

Trout fishing has picked up around the bays from Sarasota to Boca Ciega Bay. Good numbers of trout in the upper slot were caught over the past week on the tides with good moving water. MirrOlure MirrOdines in the 17MR and 27MR sizes both worked well along with some whitebait that is running around 3 inches in length. Popping corks worked with suspended DOA Shrimp or DOA TerrorEyz work very well for trout around the grassy areas near Fort Desoto and around the boat ramp near Bunces Pass.

The big news on the Suncoast is that schools of large redfish are beginning to filter into the West Central Region. Good numbers were showing up around Palm Harbor and Ozona and a school or two were seen near the Sunshine Skyway this week. I saw one school of monster fish in the 40-inch class that were just pounding a school of mullet. They were throwing the mullet into the air like a porpoise would, then eating them. Get out your topwater lures and get ready to have some fun. While redfish have underslung mouths and find it difficult to eat a topwater lure, the antics that they do trying to eat a topwater lure is worth the price of admission. I’ll still catch plenty of redfish on a small swimbait like a CAL Shad or MirrOlure Marsh Minnow Jr., but gold spoons like the Eppinger Rex Weedless Spoon is one of my most productive and favorite spoons. In open water without a lot of grass, a variety of L.B. Huntington Drone Spoons, made locally by the L & S Bait Company in Largo, have been outstanding. Both brands are made in the U.S., with Eppinger being a Michigan family-owned company.

Snook have been chewing hard this week with a lot of big snook being caught. Most of these larger fish are being caught around passes and in deeper water on cutbait like a mullet head or a chunk of cut ladyfish fished on the bottom. Still, there are plenty of smaller male fish being caught in the surf along the beaches and around barrier islands and in mangrove swash channels. We have been catching them on CAL Jigs with Shad Tails, MirrOlure Marsh Minnows and DOA Shrimp.

FRESHWATER

Ponds and small residential retention ponds that don’t have much depth are seeing some of the highest water temperatures that have slowed fishing, despite the extra heavy rains we have had over the past month.The shorter days of fall will help the decline of these warm temperatures and cause the fish to become more active. I’ve had pretty good success throwing a Bill Lewis Rat ‘L Trap for bass, but the top producer for me has been the DOA Sna-Koil fished slowly in holes in weed beds.

Early morning and during the sunset hours a good topwater bite can be had. The Berkley Choppo 105, sold as a saltwater lure, has been getting some huge attention from bass in area lakes. The large revolving tail blade churns up the water, making a bubbling sound that entices big bass into the attack mode. Alligator Lake in Safety Harbor has been holding some nice bass.

Fly rodders continue to have good action with panfish using small foam spiders or poppers down on Lake Manatee. Fat bluegill, bass and even some crappie have been caught on Road Runner lures here. As long as the high winds of hurricanes and tropical storms stay away, the fishing should be good. Give it a try and take a kid with you. You’ll both be glad you did. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Sept. 13-15 Report

Quarter-moon tides are usually not as productive as those on new and full moon weeks, but for the weekend ahead, there’s no question it will be a busy one both inshore and offshore.

OFFSHORE/NEARSHORE

The focus for most anglers has been on recreational gag grouper with the brief 15-day season that ends at midnight this coming Sunday, the 15th in Gulf waters. Anglers have found gags just about everywhere from nearshore to offshore waters and even inshore in only 6 feet of water! It’s still a little early to be seeing a lot of gags in the shallows here but nobody’s complaining. I found some patches of live hard bottom in lower Tampa Bay south of the Skyway that were holding gags in about 21 feet of water and would chew a DOA Deep Running Baitbuster dragged slowly just off the bottom.

The DOA 3/8-ounce TerrorEyz fished on 15-pound test braided line with a 25-pound mono leader picked up some mangrove snapper, flounder, black seabass and juvenile gag grouper in the same area. There have also been some Spanish mackerel in the area. Anglers reported catching them on live shrimp fished under a popping cork and casting weighted spoons and Diamond Jigs.

Cobia catches are being reported on the North Suncoast/Adventure Coast from Tarpon Springs to Hernando Beach. Dark colored eel imitations and larger jerk baits like the MirrOlure Provoker rigged on a half-ounce jig head have been effective in catching cobia that have been following rays on the flats.

Anglers working out beyond 100 feet are finding some blackfin tuna, amberjacks, dolphin and an occasional wahoo around 125 feet of water southwest of Pinellas. Good numbers of triggerfish, porgies and some hogfish are also being caught in this depth along with a variety of snappers. Live shrimp have been the go-to bait for hogfish and snapper.

INSHORE

Anglers are beginning to report increasing action with redfish schools that are along the Gulf beaches and working around Shell Key and parts of Egmont Key.

Increasing numbers of trout are showing up around Terra Ceia, the Bulkhead and Joe Bay along with some under slot snook. Hard bottom areas are producing some action with black seabass in Lower Tampa Bay on some patches of live hard bottom with sea fans in 12 to 21 feet of water.

Some of the inshore artificial reefs and hard bottom areas are holding flounder. Most that have been caught are of legal size over 14 inches. The seasonal closure for flounder is October 15 through November 30. With a limit of five fish per angler per day.

Scattered action with Spanish mackerel up inside Tampa Bay was reported around channel markers that are holding baitfish. Jigs and spoons cast and worked quickly or most any flashy jig will catch these fish. They like a fast presentation. Medium action spinning rods with 10-to 15-pound test braided line works fine. Forty-pound test leader will help prevent cutoffs but the larger diameter leader could slow the bite in clean water. Recent rains have created some turbid conditions along with tannin-stained water.

FRESHWATER

Panfish action continues to be good for anglers fishing Lake Manatee, Lake Tarpon, and portions of Lake Seminole and Walsingham Reservoir. Red wigglers and crickets are working well for bluegill, stumpknockers and red ears. Fly anglers have done well using foam spiders, worm imitations and small poppers on #10 hooks. Bass are hitting poppers and sliders. Hit some of these sweetwater locales for some relaxing freshwater fun! ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Sept. 6-8 Report

The effects of the new moon early this week will still linger around for the weekend, making for some decent action on the water. Major and minor solunar periods will be key times for action as well as periods of peak moving water.

OFFSHORE/NEARSHORE

With the limited days of open season on gag grouper, I’d bet there are a lot of sick days being taken right now. But for guys who are boatless, guides are either booked are nearly booked up for the brief 15-day open season that closes at the end of the day on September 15. There are lots of opportunities, but you must jump on them. For landlubbers, the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers will see some gags come over the rails there. There were even some reports of anglers catching some nice-sized legal gags off seawalls in Pinellas. Party boats out of Hubbard’s Marina still have some room on the gunnels as well as their private charter availability, and most area guides are either booked, in the process of it, or working doubles making for some very long days.

At the same time, greater amberjack season reopened on September 1, running through October 31. Recreational anglers may possess one AJ per person measuring a minimum of 34 inches to the fork length.

Cobia, blackfin tunas, dolphin, and an occasional wahoo have been reported over the past couple of weeks for anglers working offshore from 100 to 120 feet of water.

Saving the long runs, anglers can start working in about 50 to 80 feet of water for grunts and hogfish. Good numbers of gray triggerfish have also been reported here. They are open through the close of the year and anglers may possess 10 per person per day with a fork length of 15 inches minimum in Gulf state waters. In federal waters, there is a 1 fish bag limit within 20 reef fish aggregate. Visit the FWC website for more information on reef fish rules, gear rules, and reef fish surveys. https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/

INSHORE

Snook season is now OPEN! I don’t have to say that, judging by the traffic jam at the boat ramps. Yes, we had a holiday weekend with Monday normally being a good day to find a place to park a trailer at a boat ramp, but instead, at some ramps it was sheer madness. While lots of partiers were at the sand bars on the weekend, it seemed there were plenty more spilling into the Monday holiday. Jet skiers were everywhere, but who was fishing? There were a lot of anglers out targeting snook. Judging from some of the photos, there will be fewer legal fish to target this coming weekend. You will still find spawning fish in the passes and nearby beaches as we come off this week’s new moon. Anglers may keep one fish per person per day between 28 and 33 inches on the Gulf Coast, measured with the tail pinched and mouth closed.

Redfish schools that usually show up around August have not been shown up in good numbers yet, but they will. I believe all the rain we are having will attract these big breeders moving in from the Gulf to feed in our bays and estuaries. Big schools of reds have shown up along the Nature Coast from Hernando North to Steinhatchee.

A lot of schools of small baitfish have been in the bays over the past few weeks. Most are around 2-inches long by now. Most are scaled sardines but there are some threadfin herring in the schools as well. I’ve noticed that most of the trout I have been catching lately have come on smaller profile artificial lures that I have been throwing. It seems that a 3-inch lure is the best all-around size and the profile of a pilchard is what they are triggered to feed on. The MirrOlure 17MR18 MirrOdine has been a top producer as has some very small jerk baits on 1/16-ounce jig heads. Good numbers of trout are being caught although many have been small in the Fort DeSoto area. Farther north from north Clearwater Bay to Anclote Key, anglers have been reported catching over-slot trout.

Anglers chucking the 3-inch Savage Gear Manic Shrimp rigged under a popping cork are having success with several species, down in Sarasota and Terra Ceia Bays. Trout, a few redfish, snook, jacks, bluefish, and ladyfish have been some of the fish caught on this rig there. Spanish mackerel have been just off the beaches in some areas, but they come and go quickly. Targeting trout on the flats on the Clam Bar southwest of Pinellas Point has been productive using the DOA Deadly Combo and the Berkley Stick Shadd 90. The chrome-colored Stick Shadd has been getting a lot of attention there.

FRESHWATER

Fishing rivers, lakes, and ponds lately have been a little tough. Daily thunderstorms have been dumping loads of rain pushing lake levels to the max and overflowing. The additional water allows fish to spread out over a greater area. What’s needed to find these fish are lures that can cover a lot of water. Crankbaits with lots of vibration, flash, and rattles such as the Bill Lewis Rat’L Trap are outstanding at covering water and attracting fish in stained water at a variety of depths. Bodies of water with a lot of grass will require a more weedless lure such as a spinnerbait. The flash and vibration a spinnerbait puts out can also call fish from a distance. Concentrating on areas with bait and moving water can produce some action with bass. Storm drains and overflow areas create some current and water movement, and small baitfish will have a hard time swimming against these overflow drains, making them excellent ambush points for bass. Try these lure types and see if they don’t increase your catch in these high-water conditions. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Aug. 30-Sept. 1 Report

Sometimes everybody wants what you can’t have. When the season is closed, you can’t wait until it’s open again. So, here we have two different species that are vitally important to charter captains as top targeted species, and to recreational anglers who, for many, want to take them home for dinner. Whatever you choose, the seasons have very limited time and the first to the fish wins.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

These past few weeks I have seen many photos of big gag grouper caught and released. After venting or using other gear such as the Return ‘Em Right Descending Device used to alleviate barotrauma from fish taken in water depths of about 40 or 50 feet or greater, the gags are released, and if done correctly most of these fish will survive the ordeal. It’s not just grouper that can have the issue, but all fish brought up from water deep enough to cause the stress will exhibit signs of barotrauma. Bloating, eyes bugging out, stomachs erupting from the mouths of the fish, and a few others are sure signs that the fish is suffering from barotrauma, and if released without taking care to alleviate these symptoms, will stand a good chance of dying. As a reminder, venting tools or descending devices are mandatory to have onboard boats that are fishing for reef fish. The tools must be ready to use.

Anglers getting offshore are finding a good variety of snappers to catch. Lanes, vermilion, mangrove, yellowtail, and red snapper are being caught. Getting out beyond 120 feet, blackfin tuna, dolphin, an occasional wahoo, cobia, or sailfish are being caught.

Gag grouper will reopen for a limited time from September 1 through September 15. While there has been a considerable amount of “pre-fishing” to locate these fish before the season opens, if you want to take them home, I highly recommend that you be the first to whatever spot you have saved on your GPS. You may think you have a secret spot, and you possibly might, but so do the other thousands of anglers.

INSHORE

There are just so many legal-sized snook in the water, and judging by the numbers that are caught, it’s challenging to catch some of these slot-sized linesiders. Capt. Dave Pomerleau, the “Mad Snooker,” specializes in catching big snook. He has plenty of “secret spots”, and sometimes those spots might be where you might least expect them. Cut and live baits will usually get the biggest, slowest and laziest snook, and the large ones are normally all females, so handle them carefully. The slot for snook on the Gulf Coast is 28 to 33 inches and the bag limit is 1 fish per person. On a paying charter, the captain and crew are not permitted to keep a snook. Snook are nocturnal so your best bet for catching them is at night. It doesn’t mean they won’t bite during the day but your chances of catching more of these fish are at night. Most snook will complete the summer spawn by either the new or full moon in September, so some of these fish may be thinner than others. But immediately upon completion of the spawn, snook will begin feeding heavily to prepare for winter weather. Live and artificial shrimp will work well. I’ve always done well with the 3-inch DOA Shrimp and the Deep-running DOA Baitbuster. Areas with good depth, structure, and baitfish along with water movement are usually prime snook-holding spots.

Redfish are slowly moving into areas along the Suncoast from Tarpon Springs southward. While a local population is always around, these fish that are moving in will be large breeder-size into the 40-inch class. They may stage up in the Gulf waters and hold until a full moon approaches to move inside bays. Tampa Bay will hold them from Fort DeSoto all the way up inside the bay in Old Tampa Bay and just south at Weedon Island. An assortment of lures work well for redfish. The weedless gold spoon, such as the Eppinger Rex Spoon is a local favorite as is the Johnson Silver Minnow spoon.

Fair numbers of trout are showing up on the flats in water depths of 3 to 5 feet mostly. Flats with scattered grass and sandy potholes are prime locations for holding these fish. They actively feed around periods of moving water. Topwater lures fished early in the day will draw attention just as the popping cork with a jig or shrimp on a small leader will.

FRESHWATER

Afternoon and evening thunderstorms are cooling off local waters somewhat. Down from about 90 degrees to 86 degrees in some areas, fish seem to be a little more active and aggressive when feeding. Spinnerbaits, buzz baits, and even crankbaits will attract active fish. You might need to experiment to see which lures draw the most strikes, but that’s fishin’. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Aug. 23-25 Report

During the latter part of the week, we have been seeing increasing showers and thunderstorms along the Suncoast. Inshore waters continue to be stained from heavy rains and signs of pollutants can still be detected by the stench in some areas. Last Monday’s full moon continues to bring some moving water around passes and bays, and hopefully, it will clean up the bays more quickly.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Capt. Dylan Hubbard out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass in Madeira Beach reported some fantastic fishing on one of their long-range trips. Good numbers of big triggerfish, red snapper, yellowtail, mangrove and some nice mutton snappers have been caught. Pelagic action with cobia, blackfin tuna, dolphin (mahi mahi), and occasional wahoo and sailfish are caught. White grunts and lane snappers have been caught in nearshore waters.

Capt. Brian Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Fishing Adventures out of Marine Max in St. Petersburg has been slaying big American red snappers. In addition, his anglers have caught some nice mangrove snapper, some chunky scamp grouper and some big blackfin tunas. The usual catches of gag and red grouper have been released until the seasons reopen.

INSHORE

Coming off the full moon this past Monday, anglers targeting snook around the passes caught and released some monster fish. A fair number of XL females over 36 inches and a few over 40 were reported around the region. Most were caught at night and others on the last of the evening outgoing tide. Capt. George Hastick, of Fish Hunter Fishing Charters out of St. Pete, put anglers on an inshore grand slam this week while fishing Tampa Bay waters. Fair numbers of some nice slot redfish, a few trout and snook kept anglers busy while using spoons, cut bait and live threadfins.

September 1 snook season reopens on the Gulf Coast.

Redfish have been hanging up under docks and overhanging mangroves during the day’s high tides. The go-to bait has been cut baitfish like mullet, ladyfish, or pinfish. The heat of the day slows these fish down and moves them into the shade for comfort. Areas off the south beach at Fort Desoto are producing good catches of some larger redfish in the cleaner water. Other areas of the bay continue to be stirred up and/or tannin-stained.

Fair action with spotted seatrout from Joe Bay to Sarasota Bay was reported this week. Most fish were in the slot or just under. Live shrimp or CAL Jerk baits under popping corks are getting attention from some of the larger trout. On the north Suncoast from Dunedin to Tarpon Springs, anglers tossing 17MR MirrOdines are having a field day with a multitude of species of fish. Snook, trout, redfish, jacks, ladyfish, and a few Spanish mackerel were reported to have been caught this week.

FRESHWATER

Lake levels that were extremely low before Hurricane/Tropical Storm Debby continue to be full if not overflowing. Storm drains have been some fishy spots to target where bluegill and other small panfish have been swimming out of the overflows. Fish are spread out with the higher water, making them more difficult to locate. Crankbaits are good search baits in areas with sparse grass, but spinnerbaits that are relatively weedless can cover a lot of water quickly. Early morning topwater action for bass has been good in most lakes and area ponds. Flipping big dark purple or black worms have produced some of the largest bass in Lake Manatee. Get on the water while the panfish action is still good. Fly rodders can capitalize on bass and bluegill using small foam spiders or worm imitations. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Aug. 16-18 Report

Approaching next Monday’s full moon, tides will begin to run harder and possibly help clean up the dirty water inside bays. Incoming clean water will be an opportunity for fish to find food and feed more easily. Look for the big outgoing afternoon/ evening tide to turn on snook.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Settling seas is helping clean up turbidity in nearshore waters but getting out beyond the dirty water is proving effective for anglers doing some bottom-dropping for a variety of fish. Good numbers of snappers are being caught. Vermilions, mangos, American red snapper and lane snapper are all in the catch with some triggerfish, porgies and grunts. Good numbers of gag and red grouper that are being caught are being released during this seasonal closure. The opener is coming up fast and it’s a limited time, so book your trips now. The upcoming season will be very short, starting on September 1 and running through September 15, 2024.

Anglers fishing with Capt. Brian Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Fishing Adventures have been living the dream, catching big blackfin tunas, red snapper and loads of mangrove snapper and big cobia and several other species. Capt. Morgan, who runs out of Marine Max in St. Petersburg, is booking trips in a hurry with the smooth seas and fantastic action that’s blowing up. Individual anglers can hop onboard with a group of up to six to fill the boat and fill the fish box for the day.

Offshore fishing is producing some wahoo, a few dolphin and fair numbers of blackin tuna. Scattered reports of sailfish and blackfin tunas are normal this time of year.

INSHORE

If you’re waiting for the bite to turn on for snook, wait no longer, just be sure to use a circle hook with natural bait for an easy and safe release. The season opener is coming on September 1, but next Monday’s full moon, the three days preceding and following it, should be stellar. Good tide movement and regular afternoon thunderstorms are triggering some action for multiple species, but the big three inshore species of snook, trout and redfish have been cooperative. While live pilchards of any size are hard to come by, artificial lures can be deadly in the right hands. Early morning topwater action has been excellent for trout in depths ranging from 2 to 5 feet around grass patches where there is good water flow. Redfish are actively feeding around Mangroves on the incoming tide as the water rises and fish take cover in the shade. The most productive lures in this scenario have been the 3-inch DOA Shrimp and MirrOlure Lil’ John when skipped up under the overhanging branches. The secret to getting these fish out when skipping the lures up under the overhang is to allow the lure to get back under the overhang but immediately pull it out to the edge of the branches and let the lure fall. If a red or snook is under there, they will usually charge out to the fleeing bait and nail it. But once you feel the strike, it’s imperative to set the hook and turn the fish's head out from around the structure. Weedon Island and the upper portions of Tampa Bay have been active. Cockroach Bay has seen constant action and areas from Joe Bay to Palma Sola down in Bradenton on the south end of Tampa Bay have been consistent. The CCA STAR Tournament will be winding down in a few weeks and very few tagged redfish have been caught and are there for the taking for new boats, and up to $500,000 worth of prizes and money for college tuition are up for grabs.

FRESHWATER

Hot water makes it tough for bass anglers, but panfish continue to chew throughout the summer months. A light fly rod like a 3 weight is a challenge for them but a 5 weight will handle both bass and bluegill if you get on a good bite. Foam Spiders, poppers, sliders, and worm imitations are tops this time of year. Give them a try. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Aug. 9-12 Report

What a week! Tropical Storm Debby, which boiled up from the Tropics last weekend, turned into Hurricane Debby before she went ashore in Steinhatchee, and moved out of the state into Georgia Monday night, leaving flooded areas and damage in its wake. Boaters are urged to use caution getting on the water as portions of docks and submerged debris can be just under the surface.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

It’s anybody’s guess how the fishing will be this weekend as nearshore and offshore waters will still be churned up from Hurricane Debby. Cut baits, like threadfins, bonito strips, squid and sardines, fished on the bottom, will turn on the bite for mangrove, lane, vermilion, American reds and occasional mutton snappers. Sharks have been a problem lately for anglers hooking fish and trying to land them before a shark eats their catch. Some anglers will do a drop hook and reel in a fish as fast as possible before a shark eats it. They may have several shots at landing a fish before they have to move since hooked fish attract sharks.

The few anglers who filed reports fished mostly nearshore depths inside of 100 feet. Mangrove snapper action was consistent with a good bite on small pinfish, live shrimp and cut threadfins. Capt. Dylan Hubbard out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass reported that lane snapper are still dominating nearshore waters from 50-60 feet up to the deepest nearshore areas. These fish are hitting live shrimp and cut threadfins. With triggerfish opening up at the beginning of August, Hubbard expects good action with these fish. A few hogfish are being caught but most have been in depths beyond 100 feet. Hubbard also reported that the yellowtail snapper fishing has been exceptional, with some fish weighing in at 3-4 pounds and even approaching 5 pounds.

Anglers have also been targeting pelagics like wahoo, mahi, and cobia. A few sailfish have also been caught.

Capt. Brian Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Fishing Adventures, who fishes out of Marine Max in St. Petersburg, continues to put some giant red snapper over the rails along with scamp grouper, mangrove snapper, catch and release red and gag grouper, and others. If you’re looking to hop on an offshore boat for some meat, Capt. Morgan runs both private and split charters and puts a group of six anglers together for trips ranging from 4 to 12 hours of fishing from 5 to 90 miles from shore. For information call (813) 516-9365. www.captainmorgansfishingadventures.com

INSHORE

Decent trout action has been noted this past week as some larger trout were being caught from Sarasota Bay to Dunedin. Most pilchards and threadfins that have been netted around the mouth of Tampa Bay have been fry-size baits and a smaller cast net mesh has been required to prevent gilling these baitfish. But get a handful of reasonably decent-sized whitebait or threadfins and you could end up with some upper- or over-slot speckled trout to photograph. Live shrimp with the tails cut off for scent stream will produce fish best if water is still stirred up from Hurricane Debby.

The upper Tampa Bay area waters have been tannin-stained, turbid and just plain nasty looking but the area is holding snook, redfish and some sharks. Capt. Bucky Goldman of Bag ‘Em Charters, who fishes out of the West Chase area, finds consistent action with fish in the area for his clients. Goldman appeals to both novice and tournament anglers alike, being a competitive angler himself. Live bait or artificial lures work well for Goldman.

Flounder fishing continues to show some promise. Over the past 4 years or so, these fish seem to have disappeared with the red tide, but they are slowly making a presence around nearshore artificial reefs and inshore waters near or in passes.

Snook fishing continues to be good as these fish continue their spawning rituals. The bulk of large females might be found in deep-water passes, bridges, or other structures. Areas where they spawn will likely hold greater numbers of smaller male fish than females. The males will be more aggressive in chasing an artificial lure or live bait than the larger females. Cut mullet, ladyfish, pinfish, or other cut bait will generally attract some of the largest of these fish. The season reopens on Sept. 1 in Gulf state waters.

FRESHWATER

It might be tough going when it comes to freshwater fishing for a while. Hurricane Debby dumped as much as 12 inches of rain in some areas of the region. Many lakes and ponds will be at overflow levels, making it difficult to locate fish. The waters have been stained and turbidity is common in most lakes. Finding clear water might be a key to improved fishing for bass and panfish. Rattling lures or lures that have vibration can attract fish to your lure in stained or turbid water conditions. Regardless of the water conditions, a day on the water fishing is always better than a day at work.

‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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Aug. 2-4 Report

Afternoon thunderstorms continue to threaten anglers on the water. But the silver lining in the clouds that just brush by an area where you’re fishing is a bite that turns into a frenzy and a loaded cooler. Just be safe.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

The anglers running out of Hubbard’s Marina in John’s Pass at Madeira Beach on their 39-hour party boat trips to the Middle Grounds have been loading the boat with red snapper, mangrove snapper, vermilions, lanes, and catching a variety of groupers, grunts, porgies, some occasional cobia and blackfin tunas.

Reports from anglers who have been red snapper fishing say some of the largest they have caught have been in the 120- to 150-foot depth range.

INSHORE

Sunday’s new moon will make for some good tides as we approach this weekend. The period of greatest moving water will typically be the late afternoon outgoing tide into the evening. Anglers who continue to fish for tarpon will still find plenty of crabs flushing out of the bays on this tide. Tarpon will be found slurping up these crabs that might be swimming on the surface or hanging on floating grass or other debris that’s being carried out with the tide. While most anglers will opt for live pass crabs or threadfins while fishing in these areas, I use artificial lures to get hook-ups. One of my top hard baits for tarpon has been the MirrOlure Catch 2000. I’ve changed the original trebles to some heavier trebles with reduced barbs for easier release and have been experimenting with inline singles, but either way, using this lure has been hugely successful for me. Another go-to lure that never fails me is the DOA Trolling Model Baitbuster. Its single hook rides up and provides excellent hook-ups and easy releases. They come with a substantial barb that I file down to minimize it, making for easier penetration and release in the bony mouths of tarpon. For me, the secret to working these baits successfully is to not overwork them. Minimal action for each of these seems to produce the best.

Snook action continues to be good and with the weekend’s strong tides, you can expect an excellent bite in and around the passes and along the beaches within a few hundred yards of the passes.

With the heavy rains and afternoon thunderstorms in the region, trout have been feeding heavily. A good number of upper slot fish are being caught and a few over the slot from Fort Desoto north to Anclote Key. The DOA Deadly Combo with the popping cork and suspended shrimp in the glow color have been very productive while fishing over grass patches in 4-to 6 feet of water in Tampa and Sarasota Bays. Several times the water temperature in lower Tampa Bay has topped the 90-degree mark which seems to be moving fish to the deeper pockets on the flats and into channel edges. Working the edges of sand holes with the TTR26 MirrOlure slow-sinking lure has produced some larger trout for me.

Redfish action is spread out with fair numbers of fish in Sarasota Bay near Palma Sola Bay, the Bulkhead, and the mouth of the Manatee River at 7 Pines. In Boca Ciega Bay, the Bay Pines area and backwaters produce some redfish in the upper slot range on CAL Jigs with Shad Tails and MirrOlure Marsh Minnow Juniors.

There seems to be a recent showing of flounder making an appearance on nearshore artificial reefs and working into nearby passes and flats in our region. Some of these fish have been 18-inches. Compared to the past 5 years, these are whoppers. Shrimp-tipped jigs slowly bumped or dragged across the bottom will get the bite.

FRESHWATER

Good action in the shallows of area lakes and ponds with spawning bluegill and other panfish has made for some excellent action for fly anglers using foam spiders or worm imitations. Live red wigglers, crickets and grass shrimp have also been effective for some of these fat and feisty fighters. They are delicious pan-fried. Give ‘em a try. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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July 25-28 Report

The first half of the week saw some good moving water coming off last Sunday’s full moon. Snook pounded baits around the passes and along the beaches. Inshore and nearshore action with mangrove snapper was very good. Red snapper action continues, particularly in depths beyond 100 feet.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Increasing threats of severe afternoon thunderstorms this week should be part of your offshore planning. Paying attention to the weather band on your VHF radio can help you avoid them as well as radar if you have it. Make sure all your safety gear is up to snuff and leave a float plan with someone onshore.

As anglers continue to fish for red snapper it’s apparent that one thing is clear. A lot of these fish are there to catch. With allowable dates for various anglers to fish for these species, be it commercial, recreational, or federally permitted boats, checking the dates is highly recommended as with any other species you target.

Good numbers of a variety of groupers are being caught beyond 110 feet of water off Pinellas. The same goes for the snapper family. Depth also offers a greater size differential where deep water may not be fished as frequently and larger fish of most species being caught.

Slower tides for the weekend as we come off last Sunday’s full moon will offer better opportunities for anglers to pinpoint anchoring on spots a little easier. Chum slicks won’t carry as far but will tend to drop below the boat where anglers are dropping lines, making for more concentrations of fish to catch.

Dolphin, aka. mahi, are being caught out beyond 150 feet of water around weed lines and other floating debris. There have not been huge numbers reported, but something to be prepared for. When it comes to mahi, they have small stomachs, and if you’re going to try and attract these fish with chum, be sure the pieces of chum are very small and doled out sparingly to avoid filling the stomachs on these fish, effectively shutting down the bite.

INSHORE

If you had a graph of barometric pressure this week, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’d see some big dips and humps in it. Lots of fast-moving thunderstorms have moved through our region this week, dumping several inches of rain at a time. The triggering effect that barometric pressure makes on fish can be easily documented and time on the water will tell you that as well. It’s very tempting to stay out longer than you should as a thunderstorm approaches but every year some do try it and unfortunately the results can be disastrous. High winds, rough seas and lighting can be deadly. Use good judgment when tracking storms to ensure you get to a place of safety when these storms approach. Some people have recommended running underneath a bridge to be safe, and I’ve tried it myself, but in some cases, rapidly building seas and waves rolling under these bridges can force high-profile boats up on the underside of the bridge on the crest of a wave damaging towers and consoles, or even sinking the vessel. So be sure you have a plan to find safety in plenty of time.

The snook bite has been off the charts. While you’ll find good numbers of large female breeders out on the beaches and in the passes, areas around the mouths of rivers will see snook pouring into residential canals that have storm drains from residential retention ponds being staked out by snook to chew on tilapia or bluegill as these fish flow out of the storm drains. Matching the tilapia or bluegill with a similar profile and color can make for some great action. Lures such as the Bill Lewis Rat L Trap, 28MR MirrOlure MirrOdine, Berkley Stick Shad 90 and others can be deadly effective.

Redfish seem to be flushing out of backcountry waters with all the rain lately. We should have a great late summer/ fall run of big fish that are due to be showing up just about any time. I look for them around the next new and full moons to show in better numbers along the beaches and just inside the passes before they flood into Tampa Bay and surrounding waters. Gold spoons have been working well on reds in upper Tampa Bay. The Eppinger Rex is one I’ve had success with as well as the Johnson Silver Minnow. Both are weedless. Another favorite for reds of mine is the MirrOlure Lil John on a 1/8 oz. jig head. When working the grassy spots, I’ll throw either burbon or mangrove/ red glitter colors and when working the potholes my top color choices have been molting, sour lemon, or opening night.

Trout fishing has been on the upswing recently along the coastal barrier islands and inside bays, particularly from Indian Rocks to Anclote Key. Water depths ranging from 4 to 6 feet have been holding good numbers of specks over 20 inches that fall into that one fish over 19 inches that you can possess, but I don’t keep those larger fish to eat. I prefer one around 17-18 inches tops. A variety of lures will catch trout but one of my favorites is the trusty old DOA 3-inch night glow Shrimp. It’s never failed me for working depths from 1 to 8 feet of water.

FRESHWATER

Lots of rain lately has finally been topping off some of the small ponds and lakes in the region that were about dry. Because some lakes saw fish kills due to lack of oxygen or much lower levels of water, this new influx of rainwater cools the lakes with fresh oxygenated water, and the remaining fish can spread out, making them more difficult to target. One observation is that during these periods of heavy rain, the perimeter of these lakes will see insects washing out of the shorelines and overhanging limbs of trees. Look for hand-tied flies to possibly be the most productive. Imitations of worms, grubs, crickets, grasshoppers, and spiders will all work. You can pick up a starter fly rod combo for under $100, but the better quality starter kits usually start at a bit more around $150-175. Find one of the local fly shops or clubs and there are always a few guys or gals willing to show you the basics to get you into fly fishing. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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July 19-21 Report

Full moon madness is upon us this weekend as mangrove snapper spawning peaks with Sunday’s full moon. Whether you’re fishing inshore or offshore, you have a shot at catching these fish.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Anglers will have possibly the best opportunity to catch some of the largest mangrove snapper of the year this weekend. Every year, mangrove snapper reach their largest size around the full moon of July as they spawn. Offshore depths will typically hold the largest fish. As the depth gets shallower toward nearshore and inshore waters, the sizes of these fish tend to get smaller. Deep Gulf depths beyond 100 feet tend to hold mangos in the low-to-mid teen sizes. Nearshore waters can produce mangos around 5-to-8 pounds, and as you enter the bays, expect these fish to range from 10 to 16 inches in length. Rock piles, ledges, hard bottom areas and artificial reefs will hold these fish. A bright moon will have these fish seemingly chewing the bottom out of the boat at night. A cloudless night is best. But if the night is cloudy, you can expect a good dawn and mid-day bite on the following night.

Mangos aren’t the only snappers bending rods. Red snappers continue to fill coolers along with a variety of other fish. Scamp grouper, porgies, vermilion and lane snappers, and many others are in the rod bending exercise. Captain Brian Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Fishing Adventures out of Marine Max in Pasadena (St. Pete.) continues to put his clients on some quality fish. Along with those species already mentioned, a recent trip got into some decent-sized mahi and a few others.

INSHORE

Anglers up and down the coast in this region have been reporting good action with trout to 20 inches. Soft plastic jigs like the CAL Shad and MirrOlure Lil’ John are getting their share of specks, but the DOA Shrimp suspended under a popping cork has sparked a good bite from bigger fish in Sarasota Bay and parts of Boca Ciega and Tampa Bays. The Intracoastal Waterway from Indian Rocks to Anclote is producing fair numbers of redfish and snook, especially around the passes. Many of both have been over-slot. The occasional pompano has been caught along with some flounder to 18 inches.

Coming up on the full moon this Sunday, you can expect some better tides for fishing the flats. Look for periods of good moving water. During the slower times, work areas near passes or where two bodies of land are close to each other where water has to flow. Pay attention to wind-blown currents and their direction.

FRESHWATER

The full moon this weekend can be great for bass and bluegill fishing. Both tend to fire up during the major and minor solunar periods. Typically, you’ll find the major periods when the moon is directly overhead or beneath the Earth. Minor periods will be on the horizon. Majors last about an hour to nearly two hours sometimes but minors will be roughly an hour. Be where you want to fish during these periods with lines in the water for the best success. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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July 11-14 Report

Excessive heat is taking its toll on both anglers and fish. With feels-like temperatures to 111 degrees F and water temperatures pushing 90 degrees, heat-related illnesses have become a problem recently. Fish in small shallow ponds have been reported dying from lack of oxygen. Hydration is the key to avoiding heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses. Proper hydration starts the night before getting on the water, not when you start to feel thirsty.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Red snapper fishing continues to be good for anglers getting out beyond 100 feet of water. Capt. Dylan Hubbard says they have plenty of elbow room on the rails for more anglers. Good numbers of yellowtail, mangrove, vermilion, and lane snapper are being caught.

Nearshore, anglers are finding plenty of mangrove snapper, lane, and yellowtail snappers along with the occasional red snapper. Capt. Jason Stock, who runs out of Anna Maria in his Yellowfin has consistently been putting his clients on a variety of snappers, Blackfin tuna, cobia, porgies, permit, African pompano, and more.

INSHORE

While the heat has been on, thunderstorms have also been cranking up along the coast. The hardbottom areas of lower Tampa Bay have been producing good numbers of mangrove snapper to 15 inches. Most anglers have been using live shrimp if they can get it, but a variety of jigs will also work as well as artificial shrimp. Hanging a frozen chum block over the side of the boat will bring plenty of these feisty fish to the boat for anglers to catch. Small pieces of cut pinfish and smaller live pilchards will also work.

Tarpon fishing has slowed down since the last full moon. Fewer numbers of fish are on the beaches, but there are certainly enough to target them. Along with them come sharks—lots of sharks. Anglers trying to reel up reef fish are having a difficult time getting a whole fish up to the boat before a shark eats it.

Finding grass patches with scattered sandy potholes with good moving water in depths ranging from 5 to 8 feet will be holding some nice spotted seatrout. Tandem-rigged jigs called DOA Deadly Tandems are reeling in the fun for anglers, catching two fish at a time. The secret to catching doubles is once the first fish is hooked, keep a tight line and your rod bent but slowly reeling the fish in. As the fish shakes its head, the second jig will dance around attracting fish following the hooked one. If you plan to keep both fish and they are both of legal size, netting both fish will ensure that they can go in the cooler without losing them. Use of the rubber-coated landing nets will help keep the fish’s slime coat from being removed in the event a fish must be released, improving its chances for survival.

Redfish are finding some cool spots under boat docks along the ICW in Pinellas and in the Manatee River near the mouth. Live pilchards are working well but anglers who can skip a DOA Shrimp up under these docks have a good shot at landing redfish, snook, mangrove snapper, and flounder.

FRESHWATER

If the summer heat has you beat, head out just before sunrise. Topwater frog baits worked around shorelines of lakes and rivers will produce some bass. Small poppers or foam spiders will take both bass and bluegill on a fly rod. Once the sun begins moving overhead, Roadrunners and an assortment of other jigs will produce both bass and bream until it’s time to head back into the AC. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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July 4-7 Report

Rolling into the holiday weekend ahead, there will be heavy boat traffic on the water. Be aware that alcohol and drugs will affect some boaters who make the bad decision to use while boating. On-water boating accidents soar during this holiday week, even without the influences of drugs and alcohol. Don’t be a statistic. We will also see some negative low tides as Friday’s new moon will have some big effects on tide levels.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

As of Monday night, Hurricane Beryl, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, was spinning up winds to 150 mph. It’s that time of year, and preparation should be done by now, but in the event, you have not prepared, here’s your warning shot to get ready. Maintaining vigilance of these storms can minimize damage in the event one heads our way.

Offshore fishing has been off the charts lately. Anglers have been bagging some big mangrove snapper, vermilions, lanes, yellowtails, and a lot of big red snapper. The productive depth range for some of the largest ARs has been between 120 and 150 feet. This is the same depth range that anglers had been landing some big red grouper, that had a season closure July 1. Reports of a few mahi have been seen out around the 150-foot mark as well. Look for weed lines of Sargassum or other flotsam. Iland Lures, from L & S Bait Company, have worked well for mahi in a variety of colors.

Other doable species have been African pompano, the occasional sailfish, blackfin tuna, wahoo, scattered kingfish, and cobia which might be also found in nearshore and inshore waters.

INSHORE

The full moon fishery exploded last month with big numbers of tarpon being landed, but within a few days beyond the big moon, many of these big poons headed for the horizon in the Gulf to spawn. These fish have been slowly returning and numbers should be increasing again, although fish may be lighter in weight since they spawned. This Friday’s new moon will make for some good moving water and extremes in tides, both high and low.

You can expect to find a lot of sharks around with tarpon in the area. Bull sharks, hammerheads, lemons, sand sharks, bonnetheads, black tips, and numerous other varieties of sharks have been around. Sharks have been taking several species before anglers land their fish. Be observant while landing fish. Sticking your hand in the water to land your fish might result in the loss of a limb.

Catch and release snook fishing has been excellent around many of the passes. The beaches along the shorelines have seen loads of snook cruising the surf as well. Areas within a quarter mile of the passes along the beaches have been the most productive. Anglers working the spoil islands and areas around Honeymoon Island, Caladesi Island, and Anclote Key have seen excellent action from some big spawning fish. Live pinfish and scaled sardines have been top-producing baits during periods of moving water. On slack or slow tides, dead baits on the bottom have worked well.

Redfish action has been on the increase in our entire region over the past couple of weeks. Recent heavy rains have cooled water temperatures somewhat, making these fish more active. During the day, we’ve been seeing redfish retreating to the shady areas under overhanging mangroves and along dock lines. Cut pinfish or cut ladyfish have been productive here, but if you can skip soft plastic lures like the DOA Shrimp up under the bushes, hang on, because both snook and redfish have been hammering these lures here.

Topwater fishing for trout has been one of my favorite things to do on the flats when I can get out early. The pre-dawn timeframe until a couple of hours after has produced some big speckled trout on several different topwater lures. The new DUKE DOG from MirrOlure, the MirrOlure 94MR21 Top Dog, one of my long-time favorites, and the Heddon Super Spook Jr. have accounted for some big trout recently when targeting these fish in the shallows. As daylight hours heat up, I’ll move out deeper combing the waters with a suspending 17MR or 27MR MirrOlure MirrOdine. Finally, in the heat of the day, I’ll target deep sand holes ranging from 5 to 8 feet of water around turtle grass patches with the CAL Jig with a Shad Tail or a MirrOlure Lil’ John. I’m finding trout, redfish, and a few flounder in the sand holes on the edges of the grass.

FRESHWATER

It’s been a slow process as much of the rain we have had recently has been moving quickly without dropping a lot of rain in a single area. Lake levels, however, are slowly beginning to rise, but still have a long way to go. Fish kills have been noted in several areas. The likelihood of the cause is oxygen deprivation. Retention ponds that get a direct influx of runoff from roads may have other issues that result in a fish kill. Regardless of the cause, always report fish kills to the FWC at the Fish Kill Hotline at (800) 636-0511. ‘ Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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June 28-30 Report

While the first days of summer swept in last week, we continue to feel summer-like weather into the 90s. Coming off last Friday’s full moon, anglers had good action from the beaches to the horizon.

We celebrate our country’s Independence Day next week. Before getting on the water, double-check your safety equipment and be sure everything is up to snuff. The FWC and other enforcement agencies will be on the water July 4-6 to ensure that boaters are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. You can plan on being boarded for inspection of safety equipment, your catch if you are fishing, proper licensing, and checked for BUI. For more information, go to https://www.nasbla.org/operationdrywater/home.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

The occasional scamp grouper is being caught well offshore. Guys running well beyond the 120-foot mark are crushing the red grouper. Red grouper season closes at the end of the day on June 30 and won’t reopen until January 1, 2025, so get ‘em while you can. Red snapper fishing has been exceptional and will run until the end of the day on August 27th. With last week’s full moon, big mangrove snapper were caught offshore by anglers fishing on the party boat out of Hubbard’s Marina. Anglers working in nearshore and inshore waters also caught plenty of mangos, but they were typically much smaller in size. Good numbers of lane, vermilion, and yellowtail snappers are being caught along with porgies, and almaco jacks. Mutton snapper and African pompano are doable but not always in the catch. Pelagics are running well offshore where water temperatures are moderate for blackfin tuna, kingfish, wahoo, as well as sailfish. Cobia have been caught all over, from deep water wrecks offshore to nearshore and inshore waters.

A hearty group of bluewater anglers follows the direction of the LOOP Current as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico and up the coast from the Keys. This current comes from around the southern tip of Florida up into the Gulf bringing some cooler water and along with it, billfish. Over the years, anglers fishing the LOOP Current have caught sailfish. blue marlin, white marlin, swordfish, and a variety of other species. But often, anglers fishing roughly 70 miles or so from shore will run into wahoo and dolphin and more in the current as it approaches our coast over the next few months. This year’s 53rd Annual Old Salt Loop Billfish & Offshore Fishing Tournament will be held September 11-15, 2024.

INSHORE

It’s been a hot mangrove snapper bite in Tampa Bay over the past couple of weeks for anglers targeting these tasty fish. They seem to be on just about every piece of structure in the bay ranging from 4 to 45-foot depths. Hard bottom, rock piles, and artificial reefs have good numbers of these fish. Live shrimp and imitation shrimp like the DOA 2.75 or 3 inch Shrimp, and small jigs like the CAL Shad produce good numbers of these fish.

The snook bite has been crazy at night. Capt. Dave Pomerleau and his clients have been racking up big numbers of hefty snook around the passes and other spawning locations.

Trout have been hitting around the top of the tide and the first of the outgoing in depths ranging from 5 to 8 feet of water around Pinellas Point and Fort DeSoto. TTR26 MirrOlures and 28MR MirrOlure MirrOdines have been meat-getters. Slow-sinking lures get down to the strike zone, making them super effective.

The redfish bite has been a little on the slow side in some areas lately with the hot weather, but for anglers working the mangrove-lined shorelines with cut or live pinfish or ladyfish, it’s been paying off. Capt. Bucky Goldman of Westchase has done well in the north end of Tampa Bay catching redfish, snook, trout, and a few other species. Patience has been a key to catching fish.

FRESHWATER

Rainstorms passing through the region have helped drop temperatures in many of the small lakes and ponds. However, there are still a lot of lakes that are not seeing rain, and lake levels have dropped radically. Fish kills have been reported in some areas with tilapia and bass turning belly up from lack of oxygen. If you see a fish kill, report it to the Fish Kill Hotline at (800) 636-0511.

Panfish are still active in some of the deeper lakes. Early in the day, you will find them around the shorelines. If you have clear access to the shore, a fly rod is a great tool for catching bream. Using small poppers or foam spiders on #8 or #10 hooks will get the job done. Live crickets or grass shrimp also work well on a long cane pole. Give it a try for some great-eating fish. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM
(941)228-3474
www.CaptainRayMarkham.com

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