Anglers finding flounder in spots around Tampa Bay

1: At Big Pier 60 in Clearwater, good numbers of mangrove snapper have been caught this week. Key West grunts, jack crevalle and some flounder have also been caught, reports Big Pier 60 Bait & Tackle (727-462-6466).

2: At Madeira Beach, nearshore the red bite is steady along with plenty of lane snapper, some mangroves and hogfish. Some mahi have been caught as shallow as a depth of 30 feet. Weather has limited fishing this week, but this weekend’s weather looks favorable for deeper offshore fishing,” reports Capt. Dylan Hubbard of Hubbard’s Marina (727-393-1947).

Fish of the Week

Flounder: Good catches of flounder have been reported in a number of spots around the Tampa Bay area this week.

Strike Zone, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, Elsewhere

3: At John's Pass, there’s been a lot of snook in and around the pass this week and the bite has been steady. There’s plenty of mangrove snapper and sheepshead around the bridge and the docks. Some redfish are also biting around the docks. Speckled trout and tarpon are biting in the bridge lights at night. Trout are also biting inside during the day around the mangrove islands. Out on the jetty, redfish, snook, trout, whiting and the occasional flounder have been caught, reports Hubbard.

4: At Fort De Soto Park, limits of big mangrove snapper up to 18 inches and big over slot snook are being caught around the marina. Some flounder are biting in spots with good sand. The grass flats are producing slot size redfish and a few snook at high tide around the mangrove islands. Trout up to 19-inches are taking shrimp and plastics under a cork. Snapper and sheepshead are biting on structure and the bridges. The pier is producing snapper, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel and a few sharks. Some snook and whiting have been caught along the beach and in Bunces Pass. Pompano are also biting in the pass and around some of the bridges on Doc’s Jigs, reports Capt. Claude Hinson at Tierra Verde Bait and Tackle (727-864-2108).

5: Around the Sunshine Skyway and lower Tampa Bay, the mangrove snapper action is “as good as it gets” along the edges of the shipping channel. Some huge schools of redfish have showed up along the southeast shoreline from Joe Island to Cockroach Bay. Look for the schools on the lower part of the tides. The gag grouper bite remains good throughout the entire bay. Plenty of keeper size fish have been caught while both trolling and bottom fishing with live baits, reports Capt. John Gunter of Palmetto (863-838-5096). Lower Tampa Bay and the flats around the Skyway are producing good numbers of “quality” snook along with some redfish on the higher tides. A few flounder have been caught this week. Mangrove snapper are biting on any structure, the bridges, the reefs and the deeper drop offs on the flats, reports Capt. Shawn Crawford of Florida Sport Fishing Outfitters (941-705-3160).

6: At Anna Maria, Palma Sola Bay and the sound are both producing good size speckled trout. The flats around Longboat Pass are also holding trout and several schools of redfish. Snapper are holding on structure around the bridges, reports Crawford.

7: At St. Petersburg, a lot of good size sheepshead are biting on structure, the docks and around the bridges. Mangrove snapper are still “chewing” in the same areas. Big Bayou and Coquina Key are producing snook and redfish along with good size trout. Some tarpon are rolling around Bayboro Harbor and Tierra Verde. Gag grouper and mangrove snapper action is good around the Skyway, along the channel and on the reefs in the bay. Snook and redfish action is good around Pass-a-Grille and the jetty, reports Larry Mastry at Mastry’s Tackle (727-896-8889).

8: In the north end of Tampa Bay, snook are biting “pretty much everywhere.” The flats, mangroves, rocky structure, and the deeper shorelines are producing on live bait. Mangrove snapper are “on fire” around the bridges and structure. Flounder are picking up in sandy spots around the bridges. Good numbers of pompano are biting around the bridges on shrimp and Doc’s Jigs. Black drum are also biting on the bridge pilings. The redfish bite is good on the flats and the shallow bridge approaches on pinfish and shrimp. Some cobia have been caught on the deeper flats and markers. Sheepshead are biting around the docks, reports Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551).

Elsewhere

- At Homosassa, the outside keys are holding some big schools of snook and chumming with live bait has been productive. Topwaters and jerkbaits are also producing at dawn and dusk. Redfish action remains very good on the west side of points that are holding mullet. Covering water with a gold spoon will get the bite. Speckled trout action is picking up on dark color, soft plastics under a popping cork, reports Capt. William Toney of Homosassa Inshore Fishing Charters (352-621-9284).

- At Sebastian Inlet, the mullet are starting to run and lots of big snook and some redfish are biting. The snook are mostly over slot, but some slot size fish have been caught since the season opened on Wednesday. The night time bucktail jig and swimbait bite is also picking up for snook. With the mullet, some tarpon are rolling in the surf. The mangrove snapper bite is still good around the inlet, reports Whitey’s Bait & Tackle (321-724-1440).

- At Fort Pierce, the offshore mangrove snapper bite is still good around the 80-foot mark with a few muttons also in the mix. Schoolie kingfish up to 15 pounds are biting at that depth. Mahi are biting past a depth of 250 feet. At the inlet, snook and tarpon are chasing glass minnows along the beach. Whiting and croakers are also biting in the surf. Inside the inlet, there’s a decent snook bite on live bait. Mangrove snapper are biting inside along the deeper channel edges and around the bridges. reports Clint Walker at the Fishing Center of St. Lucie (772-465-7637).