Our late afternoon, night trips are just about over for the season. Daytime temperatures slowly cooling will make for very enjoyable days on the water. Bait is plentiful on the flats throughout Weedon Island on Tampa Bay. A couple of quick tosses with the cast net yielded ample bait for both fishing and chumming. High tide yesterday afternoon had the snook and redfish right up in the mangroves and eager to take live baits. Even without a good running tide the bite was on. Redfish have moved into the area in good numbers with many fish over the 28' slot limit. Snook pattern has been consistent with numerous smaller fish and the occasional 30' mixed in. Night time was again the right time for snook and redfish on the dock lights in North St. Petersburg. One dock in particular you could catch snook on all night. After landed a fish it only took moments before the fish settled down and were back to striking our baits. The snook really put on an aerial display making numerous jumps. The cooler water really has them turned on. This fishing is simple either fly line a live bait or use a popping cork with 2-3 of fluorocarbon leader. On the higher tides get your bait tight to the mangroves, low tides fish the sandy potholes and as darkness falls fish the shadow lines around the docks. Mackerel fishing is red hot just head out to the ship channel and look for the birds pick up the scraps left by the feeding frenzy of the mackerel. Thursday we are back to daytime fishing with a Bachelor Party heading to Ft. Desoto looking for an inshore slam, snook, redfish and trout.
