West Central Florida: Stormy Weather—To Fish, or Not to Fish

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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Action Spotter Podcast

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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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PREVIOUS REPORTS

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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June 21-24 Report

This full moon weekend will be loaded with fishing options. Good moving water inshore makes for exceptional snook and tarpon fishing. Offshore anglers choosing to use the cool of the night can find some mangrove snapper that will be eager to chew.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Much of this week has been too windy for most anglers to get offshore unless they like a little spotty weather. Winds ranging from 15 to 25 mph with gusts over 30 mph have been felt much of the week with brief weather windows for some nearshore action. Although it was still bumpy, a few hearty souls made it out to do a little bottom-dropping for some mangrove snapper with good results. This Friday’s full moon might fire up mangos and red snapper alike. If the seas settle and the wind machine stops, vermilions and yellowtails could also be in the catch.

Some terrific catches of red grouper and red snapper were reported early in the week aboard the party boats out of Hubbard’s Marina where they took advantage of the weather window at the last part of the weekend. Red grouper remain open through the end of June. Big mangrove snapper along with yellowtails, porgies, a few almaco jacks, some pelagics with some chicken dolphin, a big wahoo, some good action with cobia, and some recent catches of sailfish.

INSHORE

Good action with snook despite the breezy conditions was seen this week. Most of the action was by wade fishers or anglers fishing from docks, piers, bridges, jetties, and the shore. Strong easterly winds kept seas flat along the beaches for anglers attempting to catch snook in the surf. Good numbers were caught and released from Sarasota to Anclote Key by anglers using live shrimp, an assortment of jigs, and slow-sinking plugs.

Trout fishing was very good late in the day with the falling tide around Fort Desoto where several anglers reported the action while wade fishing using DOA Shrimp and DOA Deadly Combos when drifting with the outgoing current. On this full moon, we can expect a flush of shrimp moving out into the Gulf to spawn. Most passes will see a lot of shrimp right around sunset and into the night. A lantern, headlamp, and a dip net with a bucket can make for a fun night of catching some delicious shrimp for cocktails or dinner. Bunces Pass Channel offers some wadable areas and along the flats near the channels. Be aware that you could have company with the number of sharks that are present along the coast. A recreational fishing license, either resident or non-resident is required unless exempt. Individuals can take 5 gallons of head-on shrimp per harvester per day. A possession limit of no more than 5 gallons, head-on, per vessel at any time is allowed regardless of the number of people onboard. For a full list of restrictions and allowable harvest of shrimp, go to myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/shrimp/.

Anglers targeting redfish should have some success this weekend on the incoming tide while hitting the oyster bars, particularly around mangrove shorelines where large mangroves overhang the water. Before the tide gets too high, when you can still skip lures and baits up under the bushes where there is shade, this might be your optimal location for catching some nice redfish. Live pinfish, shrimp, or cut pinfish will work well. Artificial shrimp such as the DOA Shrimp, Savage Gear Mantic Shrimp, or other soft plastic imitation shrimp will work well with these fish here. The object is to make sure you turn the fish and get them out of the bushes before they do their basket-weaving trick with your line.

Tarpon action should be good through the weekend unless winds kick up out of the west.

FRESHWATER

Water temperatures in some areas have dropped a bit over the past week with localized rainfall. Some lakes have seen a drop of as much as 8 degrees or more, contributing to more oxygenated water. This has been like a shot in the arm for bass. They have been more active and aggressive early in the day but continue to seek shady areas with cooler temperatures in the heat of the day. It’s still worth your time to get out and give it a try either early or late in the day.

‘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 14-16 Report

Weather predictions have been right and wrong but they are what they are, educated guesses with no guarantee of accuracy. Looking at this week’s predictions, I would have had a hard time stepping outside without getting wet. But when I sit listening to thunder rumble and turn on the radar to see where it’s raining, it nearly always seems to be by-passing around where I am. We desperately need rain to fill lakes and ponds, cool down land masses, and lower water temperatures.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Fishing has been on fire in the Gulf of Mexico for those making it out between storms. Captain Jason Stock who runs his Yellowfin out of Anna Maria has had his hands full with his anglers pulling in red snapper, red grouper, mangrove snapper, a stray mutton snapper, some yellowtails, and a bull shark. It’s not uncommon for anglers to catch permit, African pompano, amberjacks or a plethora of other species when Stock targets them.

In St. Petersburg, Captain Brian Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Fishing Adventures out of Marine Max has been loading the fish box with some big American red snapper, scamp grouper, red grouper, mangrove snapper, and more. It’s been a consistent rod-bending experience almost daily with Capt. Morgan.

For the third consecutive year, Hubbard’s Marina has been awarded USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Best Fishing Charter in the country. The party boats running out of has consistently provided an excellent experience for locals and snowbirds alike since 1928 when Captain Wilson Hubbard founded the business, then in Pass-A-Grille, and now out of John’s Pass. Their knowledgeable captains and staff are dedicated to making the fishing experience top-notch. Where else can you get the best burger on the Gulf when you’re 60 miles offshore?

The West Central Region is blessed to have businesses like Hubbard’s Marina as well as hundreds of other fantastic charter fishing businesses that humbly make Florida the Fishing Capital of the World.

INSHORE

Slower tides this weekend could slow the action of ambush predators. With more rainfall, area waters will be cooler, which could invigorate fish. In some areas water temperature could drop as much as 10 degrees, oxygenating the water. Baitfish and predators alike will find areas that are the most comfortable. Look for signs of diving birds, jumping mullet, and surface feeding activity. The early morning hours remain the most productive but days with overcast skies are also productive, particularly for topwater and suspending lures for trout, snook, and redfish.

The upper end of Tampa Bay has been holding fair numbers of redfish and snook around Big Island and the Gandy Bridge. Tarpon have been showing up on the west side of the bay near the airport, Allen’s Creek, and the Bayside Bridge.

Large black drum have been caught around the Gandy Bridge at night. Drum up to 30 pounds and more have been caught by anglers using cut blue crabs around the pilings.

Anglers fishing just off the beaches in 15 to 25 feet of water have caught Spanish mackerel, spotted seatrout, whiting, sheepshead, flounder, and some pompano on both live shrimp and Doc’s Goofy Jigs.

Tarpon action on the beaches continues to be very good with multiple hook-ups being reported by most anglers using live blue crabs or threadfin herring early and late in the day. During the mid-day hours, cut bait has been out-producing live bait where anglers are chumming.

FRESHWATER

Finally, the West Central Region is seeing some rainfall. We will still need more rain to get us out of the drought conditions we have been in for months. Local lakes and ponds are beginning to rise to more normal levels, allowing fish to spread out in them. The cooler water temperatures will make fish more active. Rains will wash insects into the lakes and ponds, making this an excellent time for fly fishing. Hand-tied flies can be made to imitate spiders, crickets, works, and other forage almost identically with the right materials. Local fly clubs such as the Suncoast Fly Fishers in St. Petersburg and the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers in Sarasota offer hands-on instruction by some of their members who are skilled at fly-tying. Tying these imitations can lead to catching some big bass and panfish with a fly rod. Give it a try and you might find a new sport to occupy your time. ‘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 7-9 Report

Thursday’s new moon on the 6th will have some serious influences on our tides, making for 3.6 feet of water dropping on the afternoon outgoing tides. It might make it tough for bottom fishing offshore, but inshore fishing will likely explode.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

American Red Snapper have been on the minds and lips of anglers up and down the coast and the fishing has been exceptionally good. It was bumpy when the season reopened last Saturday, but it seems some anglers may have found a sick day or three over the following week. The closing of amberjack and triggerfish shifts the fishing effort to other fish that are open and red snapper are in high demand. Red grouper remains open through the end of June.

The boats out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass are seeing increasing numbers and sizes of mangrove snapper showing up in almost all depths they are fishing. We should see an influx of mangos as they move in shallow depths to spawn over the next month or so. The average size for mangos inshore is around 12 to 13 inches. From there and beyond these fish increase in size to about 8 pounds beyond 100 feet. Live shrimp are a top mangrove snapper bait, but almost everything will eat live shrimp. Red grouper have been holding between 80 and 100 feet for their 10-hour trips, according to Capt. Dylan Hubbard. Add vermilion, yellowtail, and lane snapper, porgies, white grunts, and almaco jacks to the box and they are coming in with a nice mix of fish. There’s always a shot at a cobia, some blackfin tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi, or even a sailfish this time of year.

Capt. Jason Stock, of Anna Maria, fishing onboard The Full Send, took some of the boys from Power Pole out fishing and shooting some video of catch and release fishing for goliath grouper, permit, amberjack, and tarpon. Stock noted that they took some terrific video of a large school of tarpon while on the trip. Permit to about 25-pounds were caught and released. African pompano are another species targeted with success by Stock.

INSHORE

It’s still a tarpon game for most anglers hitting the water. An early morning pre-dawn bite and a late afternoon/ early evening bite might be top times to target these fish this weekend with the stronger tides occurring a few days on either side of Thursday’s new moon. Look for pass crabs, calicos, and blue crabs rigged on a 6/0 to 8/0 circle hook to be the go-to baits. Mid-day fishing can be good floating a threadfin herring or at night soaking a dead shad on the bottom. Top spots have been around the passes and along the beaches with the Skyway Bridge and Bean Point being productive areas to fish. Bunces Pass on the outside has also been good.

Artificial bait users have done well with the DOA Trolling Model Baitbuster and the new Super Heavy Trolling Model Baitbuster, depending on the depth you’re fishing. Also in the deeper waters off the beaches the 65MRFGO  or 65M11 MirrOlures have been productive. I personally like the MirrOlure Catch 2000 with stouter hooks for tarpon while fishing shallow beach areas up to about 8 feet of water.

Anglers have been searching for cobia recently that have been following rays in the bay. Look for them along sand bars where you might find crabs that will get sucked up off the bottom where cobia can get them.

Trout fishing has been fair-to-good lately in the cooler hours of the day. Work the shallows early with a topwater lure like the MirrOlure Top Dog or the Berkley Drift Walker 90 in depths ranging from 2 to 4 feet. As the sun gets higher in the sky, move deeper to between 6 and 8 feet of water using either jigs or slow-sinking lures such as the TTR26 MirrOlure or the 28MR18 MirrOdine.

Snook fishing remains good for catch-and-release action in the passes and around spoil islands and barrier islands from Sarasota to Anclote Key. Whitebait has been the key for some anglers fishing live baits, but larger jerk baits like the 5.5 Jerk bait from DOA has been a hot lure rigged with a 3/0 or 4/0 circle hook or live bait hook in the nose of the lure. Ambush points have been hot spots for this lure. When the tides get ripping this weekend, dock lights will hold snook, reds, and trout, and few lures will work better than a 3-inch DOA Shrimp drifted in the current.

FRESHWATER

Bass are getting a bit more sluggish as temperatures rise. Very little rain has been seen in much of the West Central for a few weeks and it appears we won’t see much this weekend either. However, if you are an early riser you can drop a canoe, kayak, or jon boat in many of the local lakes with a trolling motor or paddle and a fly rod and probably catch your limit of panfish on foam spiders, or small poppers with #8 hooks. Key in on shady spots with some grass beds and look for fanned-out areas in the shallows where you might still find some spawning panfish. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

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

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May 30-June 2 Report

Relatively calm seas and lots of sunny weather have been on tap, along with the heat. Mid-to-upper 90s air temperatures at mid-week remind us that summer is just a few weeks away. It’s time to bring extra water to stay hydrated. I’ve already been hearing about anglers having issues with the heat. Whenever you plan to spend the day on the water, it’s best to begin drinking lots of water the night before and leave the alcohol out to help prevent dehydration. Saturday, June 1 begins hurricane season. Preparing and making plans as the season begins is never too early.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Just over a week ago, the Coastal Conservation Association deployed a new artificial reef in the gulf called the “Rhodan Reef.” The structures for this reef range in height from 2 to 5 feet and will provide greater habitat diversity while attracting vast species of fish and appealing more to recreational anglers. The reef site is located offshore five miles west of Anna Maria Island at approximately 27.515400, -82.817100. While it takes time for fish to gather around new reefs, once marine growth begins to form fish will come explore the new habitat. They are usually excellent spots for attracting baitfish and once they take up residence it’s game-on for predators. The vast expanses of artificial reefs from Sarasota to Tarpon Springs provide terrific opportunities for nearshore fishing for smaller boats limited in range from 1 to about 30 miles offshore, attracting hundreds of species of fish and a plethora of marine life.

A few changes in regulations will occur June 1 that may influence your weekend game plan. Greater amberjacks will be closed from June 1 through the end of July in state and federal waters. Cobia don’t have a closure in the gulf, but as a reminder, to be legal, they must be a minimum of 36 inches to the fork of the tail in both state and federal waters, with a daily bag limit of one per person or two per vessel, whichever is less. A good number of these fish have been caught recently by tarpon anglers. Cobia have been mixed in with the tarpon schools since both tarpon and cobia love eating crabs. The strong outgoing tides surrounding the full moon flushed out crabs, shrimp, and other forage that these fish lined up to chew.

The recreational harvest of gray triggerfish closes June 1 and reopens August 1 in Gulf state and federal waters. Anglers still have until July 1 to harvest red grouper in Gulf state and federal waters.

Offshore fishing has been good this week with lighter winds and calmer seas. Anglers getting well offshore in depths over 100 to 150 feet have found floating grass and a few chicken dolphin. Offshore tide rips that ran around last Thursday’s full moon triggered stronger currents, creating trails of seagrass beds that attract baitfish and dolphin that feed on them. Small flashy jigs and an assortment of other lures work well on these fish.

INSHORE

The action on the water was almost as hot as the temperature this week. Tarpon fishing has been on fire and some scorching action is blowing up along the coast. Big schools of fish have been along the beaches as well as in some of their usual haunts for this time of year. Some of the hot spots have been the beaches at Point O Rocks down in Sarasota, New Pass, Longboat Pass, Passage Key, Bean Point, Bunces Pass, Blind Pass, and areas around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. To the north, some big tarpon have been landed around the outside of Three Rooker Bar and Anclote Key. Up inside Tampa Bay, Port Manatee has had some fish as well as some areas in the upper bay. Over the next month, tarpon will get about as large as they get in pre-spawn conditions, and during the new and full moon weeks, some will head out into the Gulf during each period to spawn. Usually within a couple of weeks, fish will begin to return, although most will have lost weight during the spawn. Fish will be hungry and ready to eat when they return.

Catch and release snook fishing has been pretty strong lately around the passes and the beaches. Good numbers are being caught in the surf to the south along Casey Key and north to Anna Maria. The islands around Port Manatee are seeing some spawning fish. To the north, snook have been staging up around Caladesi Island, Three Rooker Bar, and Honeymoon Island on the high outgoing tides.

Redfish have been caught in Sarasota Bay around the Ringling Flats, Long Bar and Sister’s Keys. Palma Sola Bay has been holding some nice redfish and trout. Many have been caught on white bait or cut pinfish. Artificial bait users have done well with MirrOlure MirrOdines, Q-8 Super Bait and CAL Jigs with Shad tails. The oyster bars in Perico Harbor have been holding redfish and snook on the high incoming tides. Anglers throwing MirrOlure Duke Dogs and Heddon Super Spook Jr’s have seen some action with these topwaters catching over-sized and mid-slot fish.

FRESHWATER

Little-to-no rain tends to stagnate lakes and ponds during the late spring and summer months, raising water temperatures and depleting dissolved oxygen necessary for fish’s survival. Some of the most productive ponds or lakes this time of year have pockets of deep water where sunlight doesn’t penetrate to the bottom or perimeters of the lakes that have large overhanging trees or shrubbery providing shade in shallow areas. Finding these lakes isn’t difficult, Using sonar when you’re looking for depth and running the edges lakes will show how much shade is available at different times of the day.

In the shallows, look for surface vegetation, such as lily pads or hydrilla that big bass seek to stay comfortable. This can pose slight difficulties while trying to fish these spots, but weedless spoons like the Eppinger Rex or Johnson Silver Minnow rigged with a trailer can slither through most of it. Texas-rigged worms with a heavy bullet weight can punch through thick hydrilla. A jig-and-pig combo is another effective one to use when trying to fish otherwise unfishable water. Weedless topwater frog baits and the weedless DOA PT-7 topwater walking lure can be hugely productive when fished in some of the heaviest cover. In the early morning or evening hours, a buzzbait can draw heart-thumping strikes from big bass.

There are numerous options for fishing late spring/ summer patterns. Choosing the lures that best fit your situation will put more fish in the boat. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

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

May 24-26 Report

Extreme heat for this time of year is making area waters much warmer than normal. Heat advisories have been noted, and anyone on the water or outside should make an effort to stay hydrated. The possibility of heat stroke and other heat-related issues can kill. Proper hydration starts the night before getting on the water, and drinking plenty of water before and during your time on the water can ensure that you don’t have these issues.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Amberjacks and triggerfish close June 1. Red grouper continue to be open through the end of June. Red grouper have been caught in a wide variety of depths ranging from 80 feet to 150 feet and beyond. Live pinfish, cut squid, and a few other baits have been getting the attention of some big red grouper.

Capt. Dylan Hubbard reports good action on their party boats out of Juhn’s Pass at Madeira Beach with mangrove snapper. Cut threadfins are working well on double-snelled rigs beyond 100 feet. Inside 100 feet of water live shrimp have been top baits. Their 12-hour extreme trips and 39-hour offshore trips are producing some big mangos and good numbers of vermilion snapper. Hubbard also says pelagics, like kingfish, tuna, wahoo, and cobia are around along with the possibility of billfish. Porgies and almaco jacks along with a few yellowtail snapper, lanes, and grunts are being caught.

Nearshore waters are seeing temperatures rise and along with it, Spanish mackerel and kingfish are thinning out as they go deeper and more north. Hogfish action also continues but has been slower.

Anglers running the beaches early in the morning are finding a few tripletail around the swim buoys and whatever flotsam they can find.

INSHORE

Tarpon are king right now on the beaches and around the bay bridges. This weekend’s full moon will create some ripping outgoing tides in the late afternoons and early evenings. It’s a good bet that the majority of anglers will be floating pass crabs out the channel at Egmont Key and around Bean Point. Good numbers of tarpon are showing up along Sarasota Beaches from Siesta Key to Longboat.

Dock lights and bridge lights are holding trout and snook at night. Look for some big snook in the passes. Fly anglers and anglers tossing jigs, DOA Baitbusters,  and live baits around the bridge fenders are catching some breeder-size snook.

Some of the deep grass beds are producing some upper and over slot trout down around New Pass. Anglers are having excellent success using Q8 Super Baits that are sold at CB Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key. Big Sarasota Pass has produced a few pompano. Mangrove snapper, pompano, and black seabass along with a few nice trout and Spanish mackerel have been caught in lower Tampa Bay and Boca Ciega Bay on Doc’s Goofy Jigs, and DOA TerrorEyz.

Terry Lee Gillingham of St. Pete. picked up some nice mangrove snapper while fishing around John’s Pass. Other anglers fishing there reported catching whiting, an occasional pompano, and trout and snook around the dock lights while fishing live shrimp. The islands and oyster bars inside the pass have been producing a few snook and some fat redfish on the new Berkley Stick Shadd 90 floating hard bait. The baitfish imitation is perfect for this area around the shallows and mangroves where the reds and snook have been feeding on scaled sardines in the area.

Good numbers of trout are being caught from Clearwater Pass to Anclote Key by anglers fishing a multitude of artificial lures and live shrimp. The shrimp fished under popping corks has been very effective around the spoil islands for both trout and a few redfish. Areas around the grass patches in 5 to 7 feet of water are holding trout to 3 pounds and have been caught on 28M MirrOdines as well as TTR 26 MirrOlures. Anglers jigging with the DOA Deadly Tandem rigs are whacking trout two at a time.

FRESHWATER

The lack of rain continues to heat up area lakes and ponds, driving fish to deeper areas with shade. Early morning efforts of anglers working the eastern sides of lakes in Pinellas where overhanging trees and vegetation are shaded are finding some decent action on big bass while flipping black and blue worms.

Lake shores may still be holding panfish that have been fanning beds and spawning. The Berkley Powerbait Gilly that imitates a small bluegill or other panfish have been devastating to bass that have been feeding on panfish that are on the beds. Rigged with an EWG worm hook this lure perfectly imitates this forage and will put a bend in your rod and a smile on your face. ‘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

May 17-19 Report

With some rain predicted toward the weekend, a slight cooling of area waters can invigorate fish inshore, leading to a good bite. Offshore anglers will have to pay close attention to weather buoys offshore to ensure that conditions warrant safe fishing. With Memorial Day approaching on May 27th, it’s a good idea to double-check all your safety equipment on your boat such as the dates on your flares and fire extinguishers, PFD’s and their serviceability, anchors, lights, horns, etc. Many boats will be boarded for safety equipment checks during this Memorial Day holiday weekend by FWC and Sheriff’s Marine Units. If you are uncertain of your safety equipment, call your local Coast Gard Auxillary and request a complimentary safety inspection.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

It seems no matter where you go, you could be in the midst of some great action. The West Central Region has seen some good weather at times and those times have been productive for anglers getting out. Amberjacks have been chewing and now that the season is open, anglers are taking advantage of it and getting plenty of exercise catching these hefty brawlers. Most boats are finding limits of these fish as well as permit, blackfin tuna, mangrove, lane, vermilion, and yellowtail snappers when the seas allow.  Red grouper are also in the catch with some really fat ones coming from depths ranging from 100 to 130 feet west-southwest of Pinellas.

While stone crab traps are mostly out of the water now, tripletail are still around. It may take some time looking around but finding some floating debris or objects offshore or in nearshore waters might be the key to finding some tripletail right now. Running the swim buoys along the beaches can be productive early in the day before boat traffic and swimmers get out. Live shrimp rigged under a popping cork might be your best bet for live bait, but a small jig such as a DOA TerrorEyz or artificial shrimp suspended under a cork will also work well. The TerrorEyz suspends and sits horizontally under the cork and looks natural.

There are still plenty of Spanish mackerel along the beaches and up inside Tampa Bay. You’ll find them wherever you can locate bait pods. The occasional flash of bait on the surface can indicate Spanish that are actively feeding and forcing the bait to the surface. Just off the beaches, you may still find plenty of kingfish. Some may be seen skyrocketing into the air while chasing bait. Trolling Huntington Drone spoons with a trace of wire leader will get bit. Spoons come in a variety of sizes, Choose the size that best resembles the size of bait you’re seeing. You can also Sabiki up bait to use live bait. Catching some blue runners will be a bonus bait for big kings. Slow-troll them as slowly as you can go and hang on with a light drag set.

INSHORE

Size and bag limits for trout seem to be working in our West Central Region. We have been seeing multiple-year classes of fish, and most recently anglers are catching some much larger over-slot gator trout in the mid to upper 20-inch range. Careful handling and releasing these over-slot fish will ensure that these big breeders can produce plenty of fish for next season. On days when water turbidity is present, the DOA Deadly combo works very well along the channel edges heading out to Fort Desoto and Pass-A-Grille. Good numbers of trout are being caught in Sarasota Bay as well just inside Longboat Pass around Jewfish Key and Sister’s Key. TTR26 MirrOlures and 27MR MirrOdines have been hot lures in the area. An early morning topwater bite can fire up with the MirrOlure Duke Dog around Long Bar in Sarasota Bay for trout and redfish. Fishing jigs on the drop-offs for trout and pompano. Doc’s Goofy Jigs have been a consistent producer here as well as along the beaches in 15-to20 feet of water just outside Blind Pass for whiting, trout, pompano, and Spanish mackerel. Similar action can be had around Anclote Key where some larger trout have been caught recently. Honeymoon Island has been holding some nice reds and snook. Tides will be a bit slower this weekend so work passes or pinch-point areas where water movement might be best.

Anglers fishing Joe Bay just north of the Skyway are finding some nice snook, redfish, bluefish, and trout. Tarpon have been plentiful from Port Manatee down to the Bulkhead and at Bean Point. Good action with poons on dead baits fished on the bottom for many anglers have them securing some ladyfish, mullet, or other bait to cut and fish on the bottom. But for anglers tossing artificial lures, skip the natural bait and the hassle of catching and keeping it alive and go with the DOA Trolling Model Baitbuster, especially around the Skyway Bridge and areas off Rattlesnake Key, and Emerson Point. Don’t overwork this lure. Allow it to sit in the current with minimal movement other than an occasional raising of the rod tip slowly and letting the lure fall if you are working depths ranging up to 20-to 40 feet. HANG ON! Big fish will nail it on the drop.

FRESHWATER

We’re finally getting some rain this week, which will likely cool area ponds and lakes down a bit. Water temperatures were getting too warm for this time of year, but fish were enjoying the temporary cool down. Bass will get active early in the day and around sunset with topwater lures like the Rebel Pop-R, chuggers, and prop baits like the Devil’s Horse.

Bluegill and other assorted panfish get active this time of year around the edges of lakes, ponds, and rivers. Crickets, grasshoppers, worms, grubs, and assorted fly imitations will fill a cooler quickly with bass and these scrappy panfish. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later.

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

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May 9-12 Report

Coming off the new moon this week we’ve seen some brisk tides and good action inshore and near shore for tarpon and snook. There’s been a consistent bite offshore as well. Look for some action around the major and minor solunar periods.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

It’s been a potpourri of fish being caught offshore and in nearshore waters. Amberjacks, limits of red grouper, mangrove, lane, yellowtail, and vermilion snappers, porgies, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, hogfish, Almaco jacks, cobia, blackfin tuna, and permit have all been caught along with sailfish thrown in for good measure. To say that the Gulf of Mexico is hot would be an understatement with some great fishing. There is something at just about any depth you choose to fish, and with greater amberjacks now open, there is another target to aim for.

Concentrating on small ledges and breaks will often be more productive than the big relief that everyone seems to fish. These small ledges will hold fish that get overlooked by anglers who are running at speed while heading offshore. If you didn’t spend some time targeting tripletail and watching your bottom machine in the process and don’t already have a big book full of numbers of some great spots to fish, you might be SOL. When stone crab season was open, crabbers would drop traps on hard bottom—the same bottom that grouper, snapper, and others tend to hang around. An easy way of getting some productive areas to fish is to mark areas around where these traps are located during the season. You only have about 5 or so months more to wait for the next stone crab season to open.

INSHORE

I don’t know if you can say tarpon are an inshore or nearshore species. I guess it just depends on where you find ‘em and they are scattered everywhere from several miles offshore, to the beaches, and way up inside Tampa Bay. Juvenile poons can be found in brackish water up rivers and in many ponds adjacent to bays. These fish have been hugely active this week as we come off the new moon this past Tuesday. Excellent moving water late in the days has been flushing some crabs and shrimp out of the bays where tarpon are waiting to chew. The Skyway Bridge has seen a lot of action for anglers soaking dead shad on the bottom. Technically these baitfish are menhaden, but lots of locals call them shad. On the Atlantic coast, some call them bunker or pogies. But knowing exactly what you are fishing with can mean the difference between a hot bite or one that’s on the cool side. These fish have preferences of what they eat at times and in some cases, the tide and where they are located dictate what they eat.

Catch-and-release snook fishing has been productive. Two areas to target right now will be around and in passes, and along the beaches just outside the passes. Walking the beaches in the morning before the bathers get out might get you a fish or two, but the early morning sun being low on the horizon will make sight-fishing snook in the surf difficult. As the sun gets higher in the sky these fish become much easier to see in the surf. Remember, if you can see them, chances are they can see you as well, so it’s always best to keep a low profile. Casting to these fish is as easy as casting to the area where the water meets the sand. This is where you’ll find sand fleas when a wave laps up on the shore. This is one forage that snook are seeking here along with small baitfish. Fly anglers can do very well fishing for snook. Many of the small baitfish found in the surf are too small to cast with a spinning rod, and using small glass minnow patterns will work exceptionally well here. But anglers tossing lightweight jigs like a 1/8th oz. jig head with a CAL Shad soft plastic body on a spinning rod will work well. A 2500 or 3000-size spinning reel with a 10-to-15-pound braid and 25-pound mono leader will handle average size snook that you’ll find in the surf.

Pompano are still being caught up and down the coast near passes and along sand bars. Doc’s Goofy Jigs have been the top pomp-getter with yellow, pink, and orange colors being top producers. Anglers working deeper areas of passes are doing well with DOA TerrorEyz lures with 3/8 oz. heads. Gold, root beer/ gold glitter, and golden bream colors have been effective.

Trout fishing in the northern reaches of the West Central Region has been very good, with anglers catching mid-twenty-inch trout using MirrOlure MirrOdines during the day and in low light conditions, topwater lures like the 7MRS MirrOlure or the new MirrOlure Duke Dog walk-the-dog style lure. The spoil islands that run from Dunedin to Anclote Key have been holding some nice specks.

Redfish populations have not been that great in the area, however, some areas hold small schools of fish. Weedon Island has some slot fish if you like boat traffic, but just north of that south of Gandy in Master’s Bayou, you can find some reds in the backwaters that are in a sheltered area that’s fishable even on windy days. Gold spoons like the Eppinger Rex Spoon have been effective.

FRESHWATER

Bream fishing might be thought of as a sport for kids, but in reality, there are some feisty bream, bluegill, shellcrackers, and other panfish that put up a pretty good fight on a cane pole, a fly rod, or on ultra-light gear. Small lures like those from Roadrunner that might be used for crappie will also work well here. For fly rods, tiny poppers, foam spiders, worms, and other insect patterns work well.

While some may not look at panfishing as a challenge, all fishing doesn’t have to be a challenge, but for all, it can be relaxing. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

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

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May 3-5 Report

You just can’t beat Mother Nature. Her wind machine just doesn’t ever seem to run out of power. Windy conditions have made it difficult for many anglers to get on the water. But diehard tournament anglers have thrown caution to the wind to take a chance on winning some big bucks or prizes.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Kingfish was the name of the game anglers this past weekend were playing. In windy conditions with gusts over 25 knots, 436 teams challenged the weather to compete for money and prizes in the 31st Annual Old Salt Spring King of the Beach Tournament. Overall, the sizes of fish were smaller than anticipated, with the top five fish in the 40+ pound class and the next 12 in the 30-pound class, but good numbers of fish were weighed in in both the kingfish and Spanish mackerel events. In the overall division, the winning team was Captain Bob Strawhecker’s Wood Butcher with a 49.20-pound kingfish to take this tournament’s crown for the 31st Annual Spring King of the Beach winners. The Traveling Angler division saw two 40-pound class fish. The Single Engine winner, Ryleigh Ann had a 42.87-pound king, and the Ladies Division winner was All Jacked Up with a 43.48-pound king. High Activity managed to top the scales in the Youth Division with a 22.08-pound kingfish. In the Spanish Mackerel Division, there were several 4-pound class fish, but Simply Hooked took the top honors with a 4.98-pound Spanish mackerel.

Fishing well offshore, anglers on the long-range trip out of Hubbard’s Marina saw some rough weather, particularly on the trip back in with a strong headwind and uncomfortable seas, but the group of anglers who braved the weather managed to bring home some decent catches of a variety of fish. Red grouper, porgies, mangrove snapper, lane, and vermilion snappers were in the catch. Due to the sea conditions trolling for kings, wahoo, tune, or anything else was out of the question. Much lighter winds are predicted for this coming weekend along with some calmer seas.

May 2nd stone crab season closes, which means that traps will begin getting pulled from the water over the next few days. Those portable fish attractors will be gone, and tripletail that would hang on these will be looking for other types of flotsam or surface structures to hang on. Look for things that have marine growth to hold these fish. Channel markers, bell buoys, and swim buoys should not be overlooked as potential attractors for tripletail.

INSHORE

Even with the breezy conditions, anglers have been finding areas that are protected enough to catch feeding fish. Trout seem to turn on in windy weather. Noisy surface plugs like MirrOlures with rattles, propellers, flash, or with some exceptional action can trigger strikes from big trout. Areas around Fort Desoto and Bunces Pass have produced some slot-sized trout pretty regularly for the past several weeks. Areas near the passes are holding snook. Snook will also hit the same lures during periods of inclement weather but may also go for soft plastic lures like the CAL Shad or DOA Shrimp. These lures will work well in areas where there is some cleaner deep water where snook may hang closer to the bottom. Anglers fishing in calmer areas may find suspending lures like the MirrOlure MirrOdine effective.

As we get toward the week’s end, we should see some calmer weather.  Sunday, tides will begin to pick up as we approach the new moon on Tuesday, May 7th. This will make for some optimal tides for tarpon, snook, trout, redfish, and most any inshore fish. If you’re a night fisherman, fish can be actively feeding on the night of the full moon.

This tends to slow the morning bite because fish will not be hungry right away. The afternoon outgoing tide about 2/3 of the way down and approaching sunset, I have found to be consistently productive around that minor solunar period.

FRESHWATER

If you missed out on the crappie bite, it doesn’t mean you should stop fishing. Bass are off the beds, and crappie fishing has indeed slowed, but bass in their post-spawn are ravenous. Anglers are catching some mighty big largemouth bass lately throughout Florida. Shellcrackers, bluegill, and many other panfish are on the beds and chewing like crazy. Capt. Angie Douthit, who guides on Lake Okeechobee says the bluegill and bass bite has been stellar. Bluegill are spawning in the shallows and will continue throughout the summer and into early fall. She says if you want to avoid the summer heat, now’s the time to book your fall trip on the Big O for some memorable action with trophy bass, and constant action with bluegill with either live bait or artificial lures. She does it all. For a fun time on the water Capt. Douthit may be reached at (863) 226-7263. Check out her website at www.southfloridabassfishing.com or on her Facebook page at facebook.com/southfloridabassfishing. ‘Til then… I’ll catch ya later!

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

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April 25-28 Report

Heading into the weekend with the Old Salt Spring King of the Beach Tournament on tap out of Madeira Beach, anglers can expect Easterly winds of about 10 to 15 knots with occasional gusts to 20 knots. It’s kingfish weather!

Other tournaments are underway and more are to come. The 90th annual Suncoast Tarpon Roundup is right around the corner for your planning in this esteemed tournament that is one of the longest running tournaments of its kind in the country.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

If king fishing is your game, the nearshore waters might have perfect conditions for it this weekend. Predicted Easterly winds will lay seas down near shore making for some nice slow trolling of big live baits. The event kicks off Thursday night at 200 Rex Place in Madeira Beach with the anticipation of more than 500 boats entering the tournament for king and Spanish mackerel.

By executive order, FWC will reopen greater amberjack for recreational harvest in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico from May 1 through May 31 consistent with the federal season.

If you plan to fish for greater amberjack or other specific reef fish species 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). As a State Reef Fish Angler, you could be selected to receive a mail survey component of the State Reef Fish Survey.  By participating in the State Reef Fish Survey, you are improving recreational data that is used to provide optimum recreational fishing opportunities in Florida. To learn more about the State Reef Fish Survey, visit MyFWC.com/SRFS or sign up today for your no-cost designation at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.

Offshore waters are working some magic with pelagics like wahoo and blackfin tunas being caught. Sailfish have also been in the mix according to reports. It’s that time of year, and the action is only heating up. Water temperatures and fish migrations are getting right for bluewater trips in the 120 to 200+ foot range.

Mangrove, vermilion, and lane snappers are all being caught along with some porgies. Lots of red grouper continue to hit the decks as well, with the larger fish out beyond 100 feet coming up on live pinfish and a combo of sardines and squid.

INSHORE

It might be worth a last-ditch effort to bag a snook before the season closes at the end of the day on April 30. These fish have been feeding heavily in preparation for the spawn which they will be undergoing throughout the summer months right up through September. Passes, points, and areas with good water flow with baitfish present will be your best bet for catching a legal fish. Only one fish is permitted per angler between 28 and 33 inches on the Gulf Coast. Thursday and Friday this week will have the best tides for snook fishing. Late afternoon, the outgoing tide level is predicted to drop about 3 feet in the Tampa Bay area. It varies up and down the coast, so check your local tides. Lures like the new Berkley High Jacker, MirrOlure MirrOdine, and the DOA TerrorEyz are all proven snook lures. Boat docks with lights and lighted bridge fenders will attract snook, trout, and others. When fishing the passes, jigs that get to the bottom and some of the heavier DOA Baitbusters and Swimming Mullet are the ticket to catching some monster linesiders that live to feast on the bottom. Heavier tackle like 50-to 65-pound test braid with 50-to 80-pound leader might be required to get some of these big fish away from the structure they hang around.

Good trout action continues from Sarasota to Anclote Key in water depths ranging from a foot to 4 or 5 feet wherever you find grass patches, potholes, and some water flow. The DOA Shrimp is exceptional for trout, especially when drifted with the current.

Redfish, bluefish, and cobia have shown up on the flats sporadically. If you can find some mullet schools, you might find redfish. Bluefish seem to be wherever you find bait schools. Cobia have been seen following rays on the flats, feeding on crabs, shrimp, or small baitfish kicked up by the ray’s wings.

90th ANNUAL SUNCOAST TARPON ROUNDUP

Celebrating 90 years of tarpon fever, the Suncoast Tarpon RoundUp will again kick off their charitable tournament series this year at the Harbor Master at Bay Pines Marina on May 4th. A separate Tune-Up Tournament will be held on May 18th. The Tournament series begins June 8 with two legs plus the Finale Day winding up on July 20th. An additional Legacy Tour runs from June 30th through July 6th. The event also has a Juniors Tournament. For more information, go to www.suncoasttarponroundup.org or text or call Tournament President, Dave Travis at (727) 639-7203.

FRESHWATER

Water temperature in lakes, ponds, and even in rivers in some areas is on the rise. Most bass have completed their spawning rituals. Bluegill are taking a turn. You’ll find spawning bluegills around the shallow perimeters of lakes and rivers where a small depression has been created by fish fanning their beds with their fins. This is a great time of year to catch some of these scrappy fish on ultra-light spinning or spin-casting gear. Small Roadrunner lures tailored for the crappie folks will find these small jigs perfect for a multitude of panfish as well as some chunky largemouth bass. Whatever you catch on ultralight gear you’ll find a bend in your rod and a scrappy fight on your hands. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!

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

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April 18-21 Report

Looking ahead toward the weekend, anglers can expect an increase in moving water brought about by the upcoming full moon next Tuesday, the 23rd. Snook are already flooding out of backcountry areas in preparation for the spawn. They will feed ravenously around this period.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

Running well offshore to depths between 140 and 170 feet of water has been productive for anglers trolling for pelagics like wahoo and blackfin tuna. Nomad Lures, Rapalas, and several types of MirrOlures and Iland Lures have been productive. On the way out, anglers trolling LB Huntington Drone Spoons are catching a variety of fish from kingfish and Spanish to wahoo.

Bottom fishing has also been exceptional for red grouper, vermilion snapper, mangrove snapper, and a variety of other fish. While red grouper can be caught in depths typically starting at about 60 to 80 feet, larger fish are generally coming from depths of 100 feet and greater. A variety of baits are being eaten by bottom fish. Pinfish seem to always produce decent catches of fish, but threadfins, live shrimp, or frozen squid, and cut baits like cigar minnows, sardines, and others will all produce at the right time. Capt. Dylan Hubbard reported good numbers of big mangrove snapper weighing up to about 8 pounds on some recent trips on their party boats out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass. Hogfish numbers have slowed but are still available if you want to put in the time. Tripletail are always an option if you find any kind of flotsam or markers in the Gulf.

Artificial reefs have been holding permit and cobia. Having live crabs in your life well will be a bonus if you find either of these two species where you fish. Both will gobble up crustaceans in a heartbeat. A silver dollar size crab is perfect for a permit, and cobia will take any size you offer.

If you’re fishing just off the beaches, there are a plethora of species available. Good numbers of Spanish and king mackerel have flooded the region. If you’re a tournament angler, try and catch some big blue runners for bait. But don’t ignore whatever is out there. Menhaden are also baitfish that can’t be ignored. Find bait schools and you’ll likely find both. Tarpon have also been cruising the waters off Sarasota, Bradenton, St. Pete, Clearwater, and Anclote Key. Following not too far behind are sharks. Several different varieties have been seen. It’s wise to keep hands out of the water when releasing fish here during the summer months when so many sharks are looking for an easy meal from a stressed fish being released.

INSHORE

Trout fishing has definitely taken an upswing in action over the past few months, and while some much larger trout have been caught in the past month and a half, we are still seeing good numbers of small trout being caught. That’s a good sign that fish are spawning and beginning to replace some of the fish lost to 4 years of red tide fish kills.

Some fantastic catches have been coming on topwater lures and lures that suspend. Berkley’s new saltwater Choppo lures are making a big splash with their large prop and are attracting some big snook, trout, and redfish. The new Berkley HighJacker lure has a baitfish profile that has been a productive surface walking/diving lure for trout and snook. MirrOlure’s Duke Dog, last year’s winner of the Best Saltwater Hard Bait at ICAST, has been putting a hurting on big snook, trout, and reds. It’s the ideal time for topwaters. But don’t put away those suspending baits. We had some excellent success with 27MR MirrOlure MirrOdine XL suspending baits for redfish, trout, snook, bluefish, and even a few flounder.

Greater numbers of tarpon are showing up around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and approaching next Tuesday’s full moon should make for some banner action with good moving water. The late afternoon falling tide will be the one to target for poons. Look for areas with good current flow that will carry blue crabs out with the ebbing tide. Dip a bunch of them up with a crab net and go fish!

FRESHWATER

It’s funny how when the wind comes down a bit people take off for the water. Some of these “less than perfect” days with marginal winds piping up can be hugely productive for post-spawn bass around the perimeters of lakes. Rattling crankbaits like the Rat L Trap are good search baits and will root out schooling bass. For areas with good bottom structures like rocks and stumps, a square bill crankbait generally produces some good fish. One of my favorites though are poppers and chuggers such as the Rebel Pop-R and the 12LS18 from the local L & S Bait Company.

One of my favorite springtime freshwater targets is bream. Bluegill, stumpknockers, red ears, or whatever panfish you have, are some of my favorite fish to target with a fly rod and some small poppers or foam spiders. They are a blast to catch and give a pretty good tug on the line when they turn sideways. Give it 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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April 10 Report

The weather seemed to be moderating somewhat after last week’s blow at mid-week, but here we go again. We aren’t out of the woods yet with some more breezy weather before spring settles down. Just pick your days to get on the water to make sure you can do it safely.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

The bite was on for anglers fishing aboard Captain Morgan's Fishing Adventures out of Marine Max in St. Petersburg this week. Capt. Brian Morgan said they boated a solid fat six-man limit on the red groupers, 40 huge vermilion snappers, a half dozen almaco jacks, a couple of mangos and a half dozen lane snappers. It was a great haul for a handful of guys.

Increasing numbers of Spanish and king mackerel are showing up along the beaches and out to about 60 to 80 feet of water, according to reports this week. The Old Salt Spring King of the Beach tournament, scheduled for April 25 through the 27th is in high gear registering anglers for the big money event to be held at 200 Rex Place in Madeira Beach.

The clock is ticking down toward the Old Salt Fishing Foundation's 31st. Annual Spring King of the Beach Tournament April 25-27 in Madeira Beach. For more information, go to oldsaltfishing.org.

Capt. Dylan Hubbard of Hubbard’s Marina out of John’s Pass reported a banner catch of fish on their recent 39-hour party boat trip. Some big red grouper, mangrove snapper up to about nine pounds, plenty of vermilion snappers, and some porgies. The trolling wasn’t conducive to much success with pelagics due to the high seas. But some calmer weather ahead should produce some of these fish.

INSHORE

High winds and some rough weather are bad combinations for getting on the water in small boats unless you have some honey holes in protected areas. Gusty winds have made getting on the water and fishing hit-and-miss lately for some anglers, but there have been some decent trout to catch lately with good numbers of fish showing up well into the 20-inch class. MirrOlure 94MR21 Top Dogs have been productive for me on the flats while fishing grass patches in 2 to 5 feet of water in lower Tampa Bay and portions of Boca Ciega Bay.

Good catches of redfish of assorted sizes have come from upper Tampa Bay where Capt. Bucky Goldman has been putting his clients on them as well as a pretty good snook bite.

Capt. John Gunter, of Off the Hook Charters out of Ellenton recently sighted a rare sawfish. These fish are having some very difficult issues lately and are critically endangered. Anglers who do observe one of these fish are asked to report all sawfish observations (healthy, sick, injured, or dead) to (844) 4-SAWFISH (844-472-9347) or sawfish@myfwc.com. Report abnormal fish behavior and fish kills to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish Kill Hotline at (800) 636-0511 or MyFWC.com/ReportFishKill.

Catch-and-release snook fishing has been good for anglers targeting these fish. They are beginning their spawning and continue throughout the summer months. Anglers are urged to handle these fish gently and release them as quickly as possible to help prevent release mortality. Natural bait users should use circle hooks to prevent gut-hooked fish.

The pompano action that was seen up and down the coast for a while has slowed. Catches continue to be reported by anglers fishing Doc’s Goofy Jigs around the passes at Big Sarasota Pass, Longboat Pass, Bunces Pass, Pass A Grille, and Clearwater Pass.

FRESHWATER

Bass fishing remains steady during the post-spawn period. Good action is being seen with spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and early morning/ late evening topwater lures like the new Berkley Drift Walker 90. Despite being sold as a saltwater lure this 3 ½ inch, 3/8-ounce surface walker is an easy walking lure that produces well in both fresh and saltwater. The tail-weighted design makes for good casting distance and has a slim profile for subtle sound and finesse presentations. From bass to redfish, the Fusion 19 3X anti-rust treble hooks are sturdy enough for any lunker you hang. 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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April 4 Report

Heavy weather moving into the Suncoast at mid-week should move through the area before the weekend. Tides will be affected by next Monday’s new moon with some very low lows and some extremely high tides. Hopefully, the wind machine calms down.

OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE

It was a bumpy ride but Capt. Brian Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Fishing Adventures out of Marine Max in St. Petersburg and crew ran out, did some bottom dropping and boated six limits of red grouper along with some lane snapper, and called it a day. Bottom fishing has been on fire lately but windy days have kept a lot of boats at the dock and turned a few anglers a different shade of green than normal.

More and more reports are coming in with kingfish catches. Spanish mackerel have been here for several weeks but are pretty predictable now. Trolling might be the easiest method of catching them by dragging spoons like those from Clark and Huntington Drone. Using either downriggers or planers at various depths will allow you to cover greater portions of the water column. A flatline out the back of the boat is a must. Don’t be too surprised if that same spoon you’re pulling hooks up with a kingfish. There have been kings caught from the beaches to well offshore. Light drags and rods with light tips but a moderately stiff mid and butt section are best for kingfish. Twenty-pound test mono gives some shock absorbency to your rig as these fish hit hard and fast, and the shock can rip the hook from the fish’s mouth. Let the fish run and leave the drag set without tightening it. As fish take more lines out, greater drag is put on the line as it’s pulled through the water.

Nearshore waters out to about 100 feet continue to produce hogfish a few triggerfish, mangrove snappers, lane, and vermilion snappers. Shrimp will catch them all.

INSHORE

While days like we had at mid-week this week will make you want to settle back on the couch with a good movie, dangerous weather with tornado warnings and high winds with rain don’t come every day. But it always pays to be mindful of the weather before you decide to hit the water. Good numbers of trout are being caught and those caught vary in size from 10 to 26 inches. That’s a fantastic sign that we are seeing multiple-year classes of these fish. They are prolific spawners, spawning as many as six to eight times per year throughout the year. If we continue to practice catch and release and minimize what we take home, this fishery could be back on track within the next couple of years here in the Tampa Bay area.

Redfish action has been pretty spotty around the Suncoast with some areas having zero action and others fair-to-good action. Bait schools are beginning to show up in greater numbers, so those slinging whitebait will likely tap the resource as soon as it’s available. But if you want to find these fish, follow the bait.

Snook fishing has been smoking hot for anglers catching and releasing these fish. The season for them is closed throughout the late spring and summer months while they spawn. New and full moon periods will find them mostly in passes but there are many other spawning areas where these fish traditionally go to spawn.

Pompano action that has been hot over the past month or so continues for anglers targeting them. Doc’s Goofy Jigs have produced fish consistently around the Tampa Bay area and up and down the coast as far north as Panama City as well as on the Atlantic Coast.

Keep eyes peeled for cobia on the flats. These fish have started to trickle into Tampa Bay and adjacent areas, perhaps migrating with tarpon coming up from the south. These fish have been known to travel together.

FRESHWATER

Post-spawn bass fishing is underway in many areas along the Suncoast. While they can be caught on a variety of jigs, worms and hard baits, I find Rat L Traps very productive around schooling bass. For those fish laid up around shorelines and in potholes surrounded by grass or vegetation, I have found a popping bug on a fly rod the best tool to place a popper in a small area and to be able to pick up and re-present if necessary. Inexpensive starter fly rod combos are available for under $100. Pick one up and give it a try. After your first catch, I’m sure you’ll be hooked! ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later.

CHAD DAY MEMORIAL 6th ANNUAL FISHING TOURNAMENT and CHARITY EVENT – April 20-21, 2024

For the 6th year, this Sarasota-based charity event and tournament will be held with $6,000 in tournament winnings up for grabs. It’s a boat tournament with up to 4 anglers per team. Details and registration are available on their website at ChadDay.ProFishingTournaments.com.

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

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