West Central Florida Forecast
March 26, 2024
By Capt. Ray Markham
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
Action Spotter Podcast
March 26 Coming off this past Monday’s full moon anglers saw good action when they could get out between brisk windy periods. The remainder of the week should offer good fishing if the weather allows.
The kings are here, as shown by one of Capt. John Gunter's anglers while fishing out of Ellenton. OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE Anglers fishing for hogfish are finding the action slowing down steadily as the water temperature heats up. However, good numbers of lane snapper are being caught. Capt. Dylan Hubbard out of Hubbard’s Marina in John’s Pass reported good action with lane snapper in about 60 feet of water along with mangrove snapper. Triggerfish have been caught recently on offshore trips.
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The big action that’s heating up right now is the king and Spanish mackerel. With tournaments right around the corner, loads of Spanish mackerel are showing up along the beaches to munch on bait schools. Kingfish have been caught offshore on deepwater wrecks and nearshore artificial reefs from Venice to Pinellas shores.
Cobia have been on the prowl in the Egmont Key Ship’s Channel lately. Look for them around structures like channel markers and buoys.
Pelagics like tuna, dolphin and wahoo should be showing up well offshore and you might even find a sailfish or two within 10 miles of the beaches. In the past few years, we have seen several caught off Sarasota, Bradenton and Pinellas shores.
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Paul with a pair of over-slot trout caught on DOA Shrimp and a CAL 5.5 Jerk Bait while fishing with Capt. Ray Markham. INSHORE With the full moon just behind us, we should still have some fair tides for the weekend as snook season comes to a close at midnight on March 31. You’ll find plenty of snook in the passes and some along the beaches as well.
Trout fishing has shown a positive upswing over the past month and some larger spring gator trout are being caught in most areas of the West Central Region. The real positive is that we are seeing several year classes of fish, showing that these fish are successfully spawning. While the Tampa Bay Estuary is still in a questionable state, several organizations are making strides to make improvements. Mangrove planting, oyster restorations, adding clams to the water to help filter it and adding artificial reefs all will help improve the quality of the habitat in the estuary. Anglers fishing just off the beaches from Sarasota to Dunedin are finding some over-slot trout in 20 to 30 feet of water. Jigs like the CAL Shad rigged on 1/4- or 3/8-ounce jig heads will work well here.
Deep grass areas south of Anclote Key have been holding some big trout in 3 to 6 feet of water. Anglers fishing TTR26 MirrOlures and 28MR MirrOdines have been catching limits of trout here.
Pompano have been running for over a month now from Boca Grande to Hernando Beach. Good numbers of fish are being caught by anglers targeting them with Doc’s Goofy Jigs, DOA TerrorEyz, and NyLure Pompano Jigs. Top colors include yellow, yellow and white, pink, and chartreuse. Root beer-colored 3/8-ounce TerrorEyz have been effective. Look for these fish to hang around passes and along sand bars.
Redfish numbers will improve by August when the large breeder-size fish return from the Gulf, but in the meantime, anglers might find smaller schools of fish that range from undersized to oversized reds. There are scattered fish in Sarasota Bay around Long Bar and the mangrove islands and shorelines. The South Shore of Tampa Bay remains a hot spot for redfish from Cockroach Bay south to Joe Bay. Scattered reds remain in the Terra Ceia area, Weedon Island, and Old Tampa Bay.
Spanish mackerel are being caught in lower Tampa Bay and the Ship’s Channel leading out of the Bay. Look for them also to appear around the outside of passes on outgoing tides and just inside passes on the incoming tides where bait schools may hold.
FRESHWATER Warmer waters continue to be the key to changes in lakes and rivers, as bass and panfish spawn or end spawning periods. Key periods are around new- and full-moon weeks. Bass that are on beds become protective as male bass defend the eggs on beds against predators. Creature baits of soft plastic that resemble lizards, salamanders, bream, or some others will be attached if flipped or pitched to beds. I have found that the Berkley Powerbait Gilly, a soft plastic lure rigged with an EWG hook makes the appearance of a foe looking to steal eggs on beds that bass will attack. The DOA Sna-Koil is another one that gets crushed by bass that feel like their spawn is threatened.
Bluegill, bream, or the plethora of other sunfish here in Florida are very active around the perimeters of lakes in Florida. A variety of flies are effective for them such as foam spiders, crickets, poppers, worms and grasshoppers tied on #6- #10 size hooks. These fish are a blast to catch on light fly rods like 2- or 3-weight rods. A simple weight-forward floating fly line is all you need with a 9-foot leader with maybe a 6-pound tippet. Long casts aren’t really necessary but can’t hurt. The ability to make roll casts can help casting into tight areas with overhanging structures. All of the local fly clubs offer instruction at their monthly meetings, and several certified instructors are available at each club.
Capt. Rick Grassett pictured during an instructional fly-fishing class. In Sarasota, Capt. Rick Grassett who runs charters out of CB Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key is one such certified casting instructor who offers fly casting lessons and inshore fishing charters. CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, 1249 Stickney Point Rd, Sarasota, FL will hold an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Sat, Apr 13, 2024. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basic fly casting principles, improving casting skills, and correcting faults. Instructor Capt. Rick Grassett will also cover saltwater fly fishing techniques, leader construction, and fly selection. The cost for the class, which will run from 8:30 AM to approximately 2 PM, is $225 per person and includes the use of fly tackle, a workbook, and lunch. This will be the last class until fall. Optional instructional guided fly fishing trips are also available for an additional fee. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or info@cbsoutfitters.com to make reservations. If you want to learn or just improve your skills, give them a call. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!
PREVIOUS REPORTS March 21 The first days of spring saw a big air temperature drop of between 20 and 30 degrees along the Suncoast, dropping water temperatures from 6 to 8 degrees as well. Breezy conditions added to the change. Heading into the weekend, next Monday’s full moon will influence tides that will have ambush feeders staging up for strong feeding periods inshore. Stronger moving currents offshore can make anchoring on a spot more difficult and have some fish holding tight to structures until currents begin to slow around slack tide at the tide changes.
Left: Kirstin with an upper-slot trout caught on a DOA Deadly Combo while fishing with Capt. Ray Markham. Right: Red grouper limits and a few others for anglers getting out on Captain Morgan's Fishing Adventures, St. Petersburg. OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE
There’s nothing like a spring run of Spanish mackerel to kick off the migration northward. Good numbers of Spanish and a few king mackerel are showing up on the artificial reefs off Sarasota, Bradenton and Pinellas shores. Trolling spoons will get you on fish in fairly short order. Watching for diving birds and skyrocketing mackerel around showering bait schools are all indicators of actively feeding fish. Most of the king reports I’ve received are from anglers working deeper water wrecks out beyond 100 feet. As the offshore and nearshore waters warm, you can expect a run of both kings and Spanish along the beaches. Trolling with spoons behind planers is a good way to cover the depths you’re fishing. Look for #1 and #2 planers to do much of the work just off the beaches with water depths up to about 25-30 feet. L.B. Huntington Drone Spoons is a locally owned brand here in Largo by the L & S Bait Company, makers of MirrOlure as well as many other popular brands. The Clark Spoon is another notable spoon, originally from this area, but was sold and moved many years ago.
We have some more weather coming in by the weekend that should clear out by Saturday night or early Sunday, according to recent weather prognosticators. Nearshore waters are producing some nice spotted seatrout out of 30 feet of water. A few mangrove snappers are showing up as well nearshore but the majority of the larger mangos are showing up beyond about 70 to 80 feet, according to Capt. Dylan Hubbard out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass. Pompano have been caught just outside the passes along the coast from Naples to Tarpon Springs and most that have been caught are being caught on Doc’s Goofy Jigs.
Nearshore waters continue to produce hogfish, grunts and assorted snappers out to about 60 or 80 feet. The lane snappers have been somewhat of a surprise, showing up in decent numbers along the coast. Some big red grouper have also been caught on small relief meeting sand and on the Swiss cheese bottom southwest of Pinellas just inside 100 feet.
Cut threadfins, squid and shrimp are being dropped to the bottom with good results. A live pinfish now and then can trigger some big fish into eating.
Trips beyond 100 feet are producing some triggerfish on the party boats out of Hubbard’s Marina. If long-range destinations are in your plan, stay tuned for some pleagics like blackfin tuna and wahoo as waters begin to warm.
INSHORE
Several days of breezy conditions with winds puffing over 30 mph made it tough to find places to hide out of the wind and catch fish at the same time. The northeast winds not only held the water out of the bays early in the week but forced low tides more than a foot below their predicted levels, further making it more difficult to get around on the flats. What it did do, however, is consolidate some trout that made for some great catch-and-release fishing with barbless hooks on lures like the DOA Shrimp, CAL Jig with a Shad tail, DOA Deadly Combo, and CAL 5.5 Jerk Baits. Overall, on my boat, the DOA Shrimp accounted for about 60% of the over 100 trout we caught on Tuesday in lower Tampa and Boca Ceiga Bays.
Last Monday’s water temperature in areas of Tampa Bay was around 78 degrees under light winds. As the day wore on and into Tuesday, much cooler air moved in overnight bringing high winds and dropping water temperatures 6 or 7 degrees in most places. The tide was predicted to be coming in much of the day but it didn’t start moving until about 1 in the afternoon as winds began to slow down.
Anglers continue to catch pompano on the flats from Clearwater to Englewood on Doc’s Goofy Jigs. Yellow and white are the preferred colors with the attached pink teaser fly. The Doc’s G2 has been catching fair numbers of trout and Spanish mackerel off the beaches from St. Pete. Beach to Indian Rocks Beach.
Redfish have been somewhat scattered around the area with small concentrations in the upper Tampa Bay, Weedon Island area and along the South Shore of Tampa Bay. Sarasota Bay has also been holding some decent reds and snook in the ICW. There are still some snook coming out of the backcountry but you can expect some big moves over the weekend approaching next Monday’s full moon and thereafter.
FRESHWATER
Bass continue to spawn in some areas with good numbers of big fish hanging in the shallows. Creature baits like lizards, salamanders, and the like will likely be the most effective for fish on the beds that are trying to protect them. Pitching or flipping to them are good methods of taking bass now but fly anglers just off the shore have a good shot at them too if the water is unobstructed. Small weedless streamers in black and purple can sometimes trigger strikes from bass here or a combination of black and orange. ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!
Capt. Ray Markham RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM (941)228-3474www.CaptainRayMarkham.com
March 13 Coming off last Sunday’s new moon some great action has been seen in our region. As we get into spring, weather patterns will begin to moderate, winds will start to come down and cold fronts will wane.
This big red grouper was one of many on a recent trip with Captain Morgan's Fishing Adventures out of St. Pete. OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE This week has seen some beautiful weather for offshore/ nearshore anglers starting with some cool mornings and comfortable afternoons. Breezy conditions early in the week gave way to some nice sunny days and average sea conditions, allowing anglers to get on the water. The weekend ahead could have similar conditions, but as always, monitor the weather and leave a float plan on shore in the event conditions change.
Nearshore action with Spanish mackerel is picking up in advance of this spring’s mackerel run, both king and Spanish mackerel. Traditionally, the Spanish will arrive ahead of kingfish and kingfish usually migrate northward, showing up on offshore wrecks first and moving into nearshore areas as baitfish begin showing up on the beaches.
Good numbers of lane snapper are being caught in the 50-to-100-foot depth range along with hogfish. While hogfish action is slowly in decline, better numbers are being caught a little deeper than they were a couple of months ago. Live shrimp may be the go-to bait for both lane snapper and hogfish, and if you get out between 100- and 120-foot depths, the action is pretty decent for mangrove snapper as well with the same bait. Capt. Dylan Hubbard out of Hubbard’s Marina in John’s Pass in Madeira Beach also recommends cut threadfin herring for mangrove snapper. Their party boats have had some loads of fish come in on the half-day and 10-hour extreme trips. Their long-range trips are hitting some triggerfish, almaco jacks, porgies and vermilion snapper. With increasing water temps, Hubbard expects to see blackfin tuna, wahoo and kingfish firing up just about any time. Recent trips have also included African pompano, yellowtail and even a few mutton snapper.
Red grouper have been chewing between 80 and 120 feet of water off Pinellas and Manatee shores. Live pinfish or cut threadfin and squid combos are working well. Anglers fishing with Capt. Brian Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Fishing Adventures out of Marine Max in St. Pete has continued to slam some big red grouper and a variety of snappers.
It was all hands on deck reeling in redfish for anglers fishing Tampa Bay with Capt. Ryan Harrington. INSHORE You can tell that the seasons are progressing. The fishing action is getting more consistent as weather patterns begin to settle. Last Sunday’s new moon sparked good action up and down the coast with pompano making an appearance around the passes and along the beaches and jetties from Venice to Clearwater. Capt. Ryan Harrington out of St. Pete got into a school of pompano and took some nice ones home while fishing lower Tampa Bay.
Trout fishing has been on the upswing with better numbers of fish showing up around the mouth of Tampa Bay and in Sarasota Bay. Anglers working the Clearwater Harbor area up to Anclote Key are finding some over-slot trout while fishing TTR26 MirrOlures around grass patches in 3- to 6-feet of water. The spoil islands along the ICW in Dunedin are holding some nice specks. Morning action around Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands with a topwater Cane Walker from Berkley is producing good catches of trout, a few snook and some redfish around the mangroves.
The Duke Dog from MirrOlure has been slamming trout and redfish around John’s Pass in the grass patches around the islands inside the pass. MirrOlure MirrOdines have been the hot lure for snook around Joe Bay and Terra Ceia.
A few flounder are being caught around passes and channel edges on low-incoming tides for anglers throwing CAL Jigs with Shad tails.
FRESHWATER It’s a great time to get some bass fishing in. Big bass are bedding in the shallows in retention ponds around residential developments. The older ponds with good vegetation seem to be producing the best. Creature baits like salamanders, lizards, and the DOA SnaKoil are taking some lunker bass in the 5-to-6-pound class. Pitching jigs around cover can also put a few bass in the boat. Look for good action around lake edges for bluegill and shallow beds. These areas can be fished successfully with foam spider fly imitations and a weight forward floating fly line on fly rods between 2 and 4 weight classes. If you don’t know how to use a fly rod or don’t own one, you’re invited to attend the Suncoast Fly Fisher’s meeting next Thursday night, March 21st, from 6 to 9 pm in St. Petersburg at Walter Fuller Park. 7891 26th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL. Capt. Ray Markham will be the guest speaker, talking about fly fishing in both fresh and saltwater for snook, trout, redfish, bass, sunfish, and more. For more details on the club, visit their website at https://suncoastflyfishers.com/ . ‘Til then…I’ll catch ya later!
Capt. Ray Markham RAY.MARKHAM@GMAIL.COM (941)228-3474www.CaptainRayMarkham.com