Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By DOUG HEMMER
Published March 26, 2006

During late March and April fishing conditions change daily. Most fish will migrate out of their winter haunts and move toward beach areas to spawn. This will spread the migration from the rivers and creeks across all parts of Tampa Bay.

The difficulty in locating steady action is the schools are constantly moving. You might find them hanging around the mouth of a river or creek, but they could be hanging along the mangroves that line both sides of the bay. There is a good chance some schools have made it to the residential canals close to a pass or the deep parts of the spoil islands that lead to the gulf. You could find them holding to one of these areas for a few days, and when you go back they are gone.

This is why you want to make scouting runs. Taking the time to idle along known fishing areas will let you sight the fish and keep up with school movement. When you locate a school, fish that area until the action slows. Then scout the areas closer to the beach.

Bait fishing is no different this time of year. Every cold front will move the bait. Last week's fronts pushed most of the larger baits off the flats and into deeper water. Smaller whitebaits were found along the dropoff of the flats. When the water temperature rises a few degrees, look for the sardines to return to the shallow flats.

--Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 347-1389.

[Last modified March 26, 2006, 00:26:15]