A variety of game fish are in lower Tampa Bay. To take advantage, make sure you have a combination of white bait, sardines, pinfish, threadfins and shrimp in the livewell. Carry light and heavy tackle, because you never know what type you'll find. Small pods of tarpon are starting to show inside the bay.
They often strike the sardines, pinfish and threadfins. Use tackle anywhere from 30-50 pounds. In the same area, you're bound to see gag grouper. We have been trolling using a large feather-head jig pulled slowly near the bottom. Once they are located, bottom-fish that area using large pinfish.
Mackerel and large trout are hanging over the grass beds. White bait rigged to a long shank hook with light tackle should do the trick. Chumming the area with handfuls of live white bait will increase the action. Sheepshead are still holding to the rock piles and artificial reefs inside the bay.
This is where you'll want to break out the shrimp. Dice and sprinkle your area. Place a chunk on a No. 1 hook and free-line over the spots were you can see fish. If your fishing over deep structure, use just enough weight to reach the bottom. Redfish and snook are moving toward the beaches. Most schools are small, but the action heats up when fish are chummed with live white bait.
- Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 347-1389.
