The shallow grassflats of lower Tampa Bay are covered with pods of juvenile threadfins, anchovies and scaled sardines. These young baitfish are too small to use for bait, but they're big enough to give away gamefish hiding spots.
Finding baitfish schools takes only a good pair of eyes. The first sign is diving pelicans and small least terns. These birds are dead giveaways in finding bait schools and also say snook, trout, reds and other flats species aren't far. Baitfish don't want to be on the surface because they know they're easy pickings for the birds. But they also are under attack from fish, so the lesser of the two evils is to take their chances with the birds.
As the baitfish are too small to use as bait, use artificials. Lures such as small spoons and jigs will draw strikes. Simply cast the offering into the pod of bait and work it through.
Spoons, either gold or silver in the one-eighth or one-quarter size, will get the job done. These fakes will cover a lot of water and are easy to use.
Jig heads in the one-sixteenth- or three-thirtysecond-ounce size are perfect. Dress up the jig heads with natural color with 3-inch tails such as clear with silver glitter. Just be sure to bring along a few tails. There are some toothy bluefish around and they'll play havoc on the soft plastics.
- Capt. Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at 727 510-4376 or by e-mail at captrick@luckydawg.com
