I had a day off from guiding today and decided to go out and do some exploring of new areas and areas I haven't fished in a while. I was concentrating my efforts around Willaims Bayou in southern Tampa Bay and trying to pin point the usual suspects (Snook, Redfish,and Sea Trout) as well as any other worthy fish to get clients hooked up with in the coming week.
I found more of what I have been finding all over southern Tampa Bay and that is really big Snook. These fish are laid up along mangrove shoreline and depending on the tide can be found in three to six feet of water back away from the mangroves or pushed far up into the mangroves. I have been trying out a new Stand N Fish unit that allows kayak fisherman to stand and sight fish without the fear of falling in. It has made a huge difference in how many fish are actually spotted from a kayak while still retaining the stealth adavantages so loved by kayak anglers.
Today I caught and released 23 Snook (between 26" and 34" - with much larger fish in the area but not eating), countless mangrove Snapper up to 16", a couple smaller Redfish ( low slot size ), and a few Sea Trout as I moved over the flats in search of more fishy looking mangrove areas.
It has been like this up in Tampa Bay for some time now and the more areas we fish the more of the same fish we are finding. It truly has been remarkable fishing and show no signs of quiting just yet.
