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Schools of redfish continue to bend rods in Tampa Bay. Large groups finally have arrived and are cooperating. Some perseverance is required to find them, but the reward makes the search worth it.
Gold spoons, soft plastic jigs and live bait have been working well. Fish spoons and jigs just off of the bottom with a steady retrieve. Live bait works best under a float with a circle hook. Circle hooks look unusual and are difficult to bait quickly, but they work well. All you have to do is reel when you get a bite. The fish almost never throw the hook and usually are hooked in the lip. Live shrimp, pinfish or greenbacks are the baits of choice.
Pompano still can be found under area bridges. Scraping barnacles definitely helps when chumming, and a small fiddler crab or yellow pompano jig fished on the bottom is all you need for some tasty action. The heavy rain seems to have slowed the pompano bite somewhat, but they are still around.
Snook have become lethargic and can usually only be caught late in the day or at first light. Patience is a must when fishing for snook in the dog days of summer.
- Dave Walker charters out of Tampa. Call 813 310-6531 or e-mail at www.snookfish.com