By ED WALKER, Times Correspondent
Published July 23, 2006
Early morning has been the best time for inshore anglers. With summer weather patterns upon us, skies to the east have been dark and grumbling with thunderstorms by 2 p.m. nearly every day. Fishing can be fantastic after these storms, but trying to gauge when, and if, they will clear is difficult.
Even without the threat of severe weather, the heat during the midafternoon has been uncomfortable for both boaters and back-bay fish. It is not uncommon to find water temperatures higher than 90 degrees in shallow lagoons at midday. This causes the redfish, trout, and snook there to become lethargic and less likely to feed.
In general, water in the gulf will be slightly cooler than water in sheltered coves and bayous. This is why many guides target the beaches, passes, and flats adjacent to inlets. Snook are the main attraction because their summer spawning rituals will keep large numbers in the swash channels for the next month or two. They can be sightfished from daybreak until around 10 a.m., when they typically head to deeper water.
Pompano and small permit can be found around sand bars, and good numbers of them have been reported from Sarasota to Clearwater. Any place where there is decent tidal movement, and a sudden depth change in the shoal, may hold them. Blacktip sharks, bluefish, speckled trout, jacks, and even an occasional redfish are other common catches when working the beaches.
