Captain's corner

By RICK FRAZIER

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 7, 2000

Today and throughout the rest of the week, the morning high tide is the one to focus on inshore. That is if you're looking for redfish and catch-and-release snook action.

Oyster beds are key. Look for beds that are out of the water the rest of the year and are covered with water only during summer's high tides. It's a good bet there are two-thirds of, or even a whole, inshore slam there. The big three -- snook, redfish and trout -- love to root around for crabs, worms and whatever else gets washed out of their homes on the extreme high tide.

A good way to find these oyster beds or bars is to look for ibis. If the birds are feeding there at low tide, it's almost a sure thing reds and snook will join in when the water gets high enough.

Wading these bars is the most quiet and productive way to score. Work the area thoroughly with a weedless topwater bait and watch out.

-- Captain Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters in St. Petersburg, (727) 448-3817 or captrick@luckydawg.com

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Outdoors

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