April 25, 2012 fishing report
Hello Everyone. This April was a great month for fishing in Clearwater Florida. We had a mild winter and a warm spring break which resulted in water temperatures a little warmer than usual.
Pelagics, Spanish Mackerel and Kingfish, arrived in early March and have been around all April. Although I rarely target Kingfish, because of the flats boat, I was able to get offshore on a few calm mornings with great success. Using a chum block and throwing live Sardines out the back of the boat was the secret to get good bite going. Kingfish and Mackerel fillets make a great fish spread.
Large Snook are showing up at their summertime homes near the passes and sandy beaches. A few large fish, up to 37 inches, were caught this month using Threadfin Herring for bait. Some days the Snook had a severe case of lockjaw.
Redfish have been biting well all month using cut bait along the mangrove islands at higher water levels. Also, I am looking for Redfish near small oyster bars and fresh water run-offs. Residential docks have also produced some nice fish this month.
The most abundant fish this April has been Spotted Sea Trout. On a recent trip out of St. Petersburg the two anglers caught and released over 80 fish.
Trout were schooled up in a small sandy cut, near the grass flats, that had a good tidal water flow.
Capt. Paul Hajash (727) 251-2623
www.tampa-florida-fishing.com
www.flyfishingflorida.com
