02-18-2001, 06:49 PM
Tampa Bay Area <br>Fishing Report<br>Captain Charles Walker<br>2/18/01<br><br>What a beautiful week of sunny days we have had. Florida is in the grip of a terrible drought with wildfires all over, but on the bright side, the sun has warmed the Gulf up 10 degrees off Tampa Bay from 57 to 67 degrees, in just one week. I had a report of skyrocketing kingfish south of the channel and large schools of Spanish sardines as well. This was great news! The Spanish mackerel are starting to show up, and that’s the precursor to our kingfish season. Grouper fishing Friday was a bust for me. You know the usual excuses by now; the water was too clear, the moon was wrong, the bait was bad, I didn’t have live bait. You can take it from there and add to the list for me. There were some nice grouper taken by a friend that was fishing a little inshore of me with live bait. He said he had a rough time as well, but all his grouper were around 30 inches! Oh well, Monday’s the start of a new fishing week and everything will be different. I do think that the grouper have moved inshore. That’s where they are supposed to be at this time of year with this water temperature. So fish in the 35 to 40 foot range with live bait and see if I’m right. <br>On to the bait house reports:<br>Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325- Snook are really biting well in both the backwaters and on the beaches. The Yo-Zuri minnows are hot now for topwater baits. Reds are really jammin’ on gold spoons on the flats. Trout are biting on the grass flats on just about anything the anglers put in the water. The Port Manatee channel is producing big grouper now. As long as the weather stays warm the greenbacks should be here soon.<br>Buddy’s Bait and Tackle on the Courteney Campbell Causeway in Tampa - 813-287-1026- Trout on the flats and around the bridge are biting on live shrimp. Snook are being caught in the Double Branch area on shrimp primarily. Sheepshead are still biting well on crabs and shrimp pieces.<br>Bonnie’s Bait and Tackle in Clearwater - 727-446-2772- Hurricane Pass and Clearwater Pass have produced a lot of ‘gator’ trout this week in 3 to 4 feet of water. Snook seem to be getting ready to move out into the flats this week. Whiting and silver trout have been caught off the beach as well as inshore in the ICW.<br>Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- Sheepshead are really biting well around the rock piles and bridge pilings. Silver trout have moved into the Florida Power channel and are biting well on shrimp. Some pompano have been caught this week south of us in the Bay. <br>Dogfish Tackle on Redington Beach - 727-392-6644- Whiting are biting well on fresh dead shrimp. Snook are really showing up and biting well on free-lined live shrimp in the backwaters.<br>Don’s Dock on Madeira Beach - 727-391-3223- Grouper have been coming in from offshore this week reportedly in the 80 to 90 foot depths. Sheepshead and black drum are real active inshore. Whiting, silver trout, and speckled trout are biting well on shrimp just off the beach on the Redington hard bottom. The middle grounds were really hot week and produced a lot of big grouper for a few of us here at the shop. <br>Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Our offshore boats brought in a few grouper and mangrove snapper this week. Sheepshead and whiting are biting along the seawall and at the jetty on the Gulf side.<br>The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- Greenbacks are starting to show up around the bridge. Spanish mackerel are being caught on both piers this weekend. Lots of sliver trout and whiting have been caught this week. Grouper are showing up around the bridges and things are really looking up!<br> <br>Folks, feel free to call any of the places in my report for more information, and be sure to tell them that you read about the fishing in their area in Capt. Charlie’s fishing report on the Internet.<br><br>If you want more information about fishing in the Tampa Bay area or wish to book a charter, simply e-mail me at captchas@flfish.com or if you wish to arrange a charter faster, call me at 727-546-7257. Be sure and visit my web site for lots more Tampa Bay Area fishing info at: http://www.floridasaltwater.com .<br><br>Good fishing and tight lines,<br>Capt. Charlie<br>http://www.flfish.com/fl<br><br><br><br>Capt. Charlie Walker<br>http://www.flfish.com