Fishing the bay during April was great....we were consistently have 20+ snook trips and multiple redfish days. The key for the snook has been trying to get the most natural presentation possible. The fish have been ranging from about 3 to 15 pounds with 3 for the month goin over 40inches. The fish are staging in the passes, so the key is to find moving water and present your bait in the most natural way possible. I have been using 20lb leader and a No.1 circle hook. Keep an eye on the tides and work the new and full moon periods and you should be rewarded with great snook action. Livebait is plentiful, so catch a well full of greenbacks and put the artificials away for a while.
May = Tarpon Time in Tampa Bay. The poons havent showed up just yet, but there are a few straglers here and there. The first full moon of May should be the start of a great Tarpon season that should last through the month of July and into mid August. Pass crabs are the ticket for bait, and they can be netted up floating on the outgoing tides. The snook fishing will continue to improve also but remember that the season is closed May 1 - September 1 so revive your catch and let them swim to fight another day. About mid May the snook will begin to congregate around the beach-like areas to begin to spawn....work these areas slowly, as to not spook the whole school, and you could be on some of the best snook action anywhere in the world. Live greenbacks, or threadfins are hard to beat for bait. Here are a couple of Snook from a recent outting.....
