With bait continuing to be a challenge I started throwing the net by 530 am! Again bridges, grass flats and piers were void of nice size white baits. There must be 100 million small threadfins dimpling local waters with very few fishable.
Two and a half hours later I had a mix of pinfish, tiny threadfins, frozen cut threadfins and 15 dozen shrimp on board. Things got better quickly when I met my clients for today's trip. Kip his son Hudson friends Denny and Shay were a blast from the time we met. They had a great attitude enjoying the great outdoors.
We ran 8 miles across the Bay to the deep Grass flats around Port Manatee that was red hot the day prior. Water temperatures were still down from last weeks rains at 86 degrees. Hudson was the first in the water and before I baited another rod I heard the drag pulling. Great the fish are right were we left them. Not! Turns out it was a catfish and not the trout I was confident we would catch. Next the wind stopped so we had a combination of slow action and hot hot weather. Then the smallest trout I ever seen was fought and landed. I want mention any names!!!
The guys were awesome they kept working and working and made the most of less than stellar fishing. We moved into the Mangrove Islands only to find another boat on my redfish hole. I moved to another spot I like and things got better. We had several good hits and snook blow ups but we didn't land any. Then Hudson's line ran off and he was tight to his first redfish. Skillfully he landed the bronze beauty took a quick picture and release him to fight another day.
Our last stops were around Ft. Desoto with so so action. We caught a handful of small trout. Two great guys and two super young men made my day.
Captain Steven Markovich
