The weather and fishing have both been fantastic the past week. Fish are bending rods in all depths. Both inshore and offshore anglers are putting a variety of species in the cooler. We have started a bit of a summer weather pattern which means it's best to get on the water early to beat the heat and the afternoon thunderstorms.
The near shore bite has a number of species providing non stop action. Trout, mackerel, lady fish, sea bass, cobia, grouper, and sharks are all being caught in 8 - 12 ft of water. I usually drift the grass in these depths and bounce a white GULP shrimp on a 1/4 ounce jig. This is a great tactic to use because the small fish can't steal the GULP and you will catch a mixed bag of fish. For the sharks, I break out the heavy spinning tackle and float cut mullet or lady fish behind the boat in a chum slick. Keep a look out for cobia to be swimming with the sting rays or large turtles. There are a variety of lures you can throw to a passing cobia. The key is to keep the lure moving once the cobia sees it.
The offshore guys are now able to target American red snapper since the season opened up on June 1st. The season is open till Aug. 15th and the daily bag limit is 2 per harvester per day. Anglers usually have to burn a little more fuel and run to deeper water to find red snapper, but it's worth it due to their reputation of being great table fare.
Good luck out there and tight lines!
Capt. Keith Tomlinson
Bulldog Fishin Charters
www.bulldogfishin.com
(352)238-3581
