Sheepshead

Sheepshead bite is HOT right now throughout the bay and around the passes. They love the structure like the Skyway Bridge fishing piers or really any pier. Bridges are holding plenty along with local docks and jetties. Great time to get some sheepshead even during this adverse weather condition. As I am writing this report I am watching some anglers landing them from our docks at Hubbard’s Marina. Small pieces of live shrimp cut clams or oysters and fiddler crabs are my favorite baits to target them. Small hook around 1ot is all you need with around 15-20lb leaders and just enough weight to keep your bait along the structures is what you need to catch plenty.

Black Drum

Black drum will often be mixed in around the sheepshead in the same areas, especially around the passes and bridges or deeper water docks. The love crabs or large shrimp weighted to the bottom and sometimes you can find some real big fish too! Smaller black drum make great table fare, but once they get large they are not recommended for food due to worms and buildup of mercury.

Seatrout

Trout action is great around the deeper water grass flats or the edges of the shallower flats. Look for potholes, edges, pockets or gullies around the areas you are fishing where trout can congregate to ambush passing prey items. They love live shrimp or artificial shrimp lures, my favorite is a DOA shrimp.

Whiting

Whiting are thick around the channels and beaches right now on the sandy bottom hitting live shrimp or soft plastics right along or on the bottom. These guys are great eating fish and are fun to catch on lighter tackle with the family.

Pompano

Pompano are starting to move north, but they are mostly biting best on the south side of Tampa Bay and around the Fort De Soto and bunces pass areas. The Skyway bridge approaches are working well for the pompano too. Pompano jigs are my favorite way to target these great eating fish like the Doc’s jigs.

Redfish

The redfish bite is going well around the dock lines, oyster bars, or grass flat edges. Look for wind protected mangrove shorelines or points in the mangrove areas that will hold the redfish. Soft plastics moving slow, gold spoons, or live shrimp are working well for these guys this past week. Cut bait will also work well for the redfish especially after this cold front as water temps dip down further.

Snook

The snook bite is going well up around the creeks, river mouths, bayous or other bay back mangrove shoreline areas. We are still seeing some around the passes and outer bay areas but they are holding on the dock lines and are typically a little smaller sized fish. Larger live shrimp or pinfish seem to be the ticket this past week, but if you use an artificial bait mimicking these prey items is best and remember to present it naturally and move it slowly as these fish are as cold as you and I are!