Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By JIM HUDDLESTON
Published September 14, 2005

Cooler evenings have made for a refreshing early boat ride and a much needed drop in the Gulf water temperature. At 78 degrees, the shallow grass flats of the early morning are teeming with baitfish. The inshore action has taken off in the last few days. In addition to snook and redfish, the bigger speckled trout have pushed on the flats in 4 to 6 feet of water. A few cobia have been spotted around some channel markers along the Intracoastal Waterway.

With calmer weather, the shoreline waters have been crystal clear. Sightcasting to sandy potholes while drifting has produced good numbers. Position the boat so that the wind will help with proper drift and aid in casting distance to weary fish. Soft plastics in motor oil or new penny color are working best. Islands, points and oyster bars are holding the concentrations of snook and redfish. These feeding stations will produce good size fish all the way through the fall season.

Higher tides in the morning are bringing bait into the mangroves where fish are cornering easy meals. A medium greenback freelined along a deep cut against the trees will produce anything from a hungry snapper to a monster linesider. The early bite has been very consistent before the sun gets high. This low light condition increases an angler's chances by decreasing the fish's visibility. As the days get shorter, it triggers fish to start feeding heavier and longer in preparation for bait schools to move south.

--Jim Huddleston charters out of Tampa, Palm Harbor and Clearwater and can be reached at 727 439-9017 or at jim@captainhud.com

[Last modified September 14, 2005, 02:15:34]