Is Great Florida inshore fishing is just around the corner?

[captainbrook]

Is great Florida inshore fishing just around the corner? No, I beleive it’s already here (SEE PICTURES BELOW). The past two weeks of fishing with clients have been very exciting despite the on and off cold fronts and mild winds. Many of my customers are catching a mixed bag of fish to keep the action consistent. Snook are now starting to show up just about everywhere, we are catching snook around structure such as docks, bridges, seawalls and canals. I’ve been searching for them on the flats, but they just aren’t quite there yet. We have been spotting bigger snook at night around dock lights, along with nice-sized trout, which is a very good sign if anyone is interested in a night charter. Redfish can be steady, but they seem to be on the move and not holding any particular area for too long. Redfish, when I find them, have been eating heavily. I catch reds when I spot big schools of mullet. Look for those big jumper mullets and you will find redfish mixed in. To my surprise the Sheepshead fishing is completely off the charts. I’ve had clients in these last few weeks catch monster sheepshead. I know they all had a delicious dinner. Strangely, this last month has brought an absolute truckload of small to mid-sized mangrove snappers into Tampa Bay waters and they are feasting at all times, regardless of what the tides may be doing. I can’t seem to recall a season when so many mangrove snappers have shown up. But who really cares they’re fun to catch, great eating and the best bait thieves on the planet, which keep things interesting. The other strange catch of last week was a hogfish snapper. I took a couple guys from Moscow, Russia on a fishing charter and their first catch of the day was a hogfish snapper caught near one of Sarasota’s many intercoastal bridges. What a surprise, I haven’t seen a hogfish snapper in quite sometime. Our good fortune is due in part to the reliable supply of lively shrimp and the warming of our local waters. We have been catching small greenback shiners for bait, but the fish don’t seem hungry for them yet. Small pinfish and small hand-select shrimp are getting the job done right now. If you’re interested in some good fishing on Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast give me a call and let’s go get ‘em. Remember; always keep your rod tip up and I’ll see you out on the water.

Capt. Brook Wallace
Full Boat Charters - Anna Maria Island, FL
http://www.floridainshoreguide.com
captainbrook@tampabay.rr.com

[allingeneral]

Welcome to the forum Captain.

Thanks for the report and the photos. We look forward to hearing more from you in the coming weeks and months.

[Pike_Master]

Welcome and nice fish!!