Nick Stubbs Sig

Guide bites

Capt. Chuck Rogers (813-918-8356): Capt. Chuck says the trout bite has picked up in the bay, though finding larger fish has been an issue. The trout have been at the hump below the Gandy Bridge known as the Middle Grounds, as well as the deeper grass flats in that part of the bay. Jigs with white plastic tails and live shrimp work, but count on lots of short fish until the water temperatures drop and the bigger, yellow-mouth specimens begin to show up in numbers. Reds have been a bit hit-and-miss over the past week or so, but sheepshead are almost a sure thing around docks, rocks and bridge pilings. The bay artificial reefs may be worth a try, as well. Live and frozen shrimp work fine for them. Schools of jacks and Spanish mackerel are popping up here and there.

Capt. George Hastick (727-525-1005): Capt. George reports he’s been running into large schools of big jacks, with fish to 8 pounds taking about anything thrown at them. The open flats and residential canals have been holding them. Sheepshead fishing has taken off, with fish around rocky bottom, rock jetties, under docks and the bay bridges. The size has not been anything to brag about, with a 15-inch fish considered a big one at this time. The best action has been in 6 to 12 feet of water. Reds are scattered and running along the mangrove lines when the tide is up. They’ve been taking fresh dead bait best, but shrimp also works. A few snook are mixing with the reds, though most have been on the smaller side.

Tackle shop roundup

Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551): Robert reports that many of his customers are scoring nice catches of sheepshead. The fish are on all types of structure, but the rock riprap on the Pinellas end of the Gandy Bridge has been particularly productive, as well as pilings all along the bridge. Trout fishing has improved a good deal over recent days. Robert and a fishing mate waded off the beach at Picnic Island recently and using jig with white flukes and top-water plugs, they landed and released about 120 fish. Others have been reporting there have been loads of trout on the Legion Flat on the Hillsborough side of the bay below the Gandy. Redfish action seems to have slowed, with a few reports of catches in Cockroach Bay and Bishop Harbor. It’s been the same for snook. Anglers fishing in Hillsborough Bay have been connecting with cobia, with the water along Bayshore Boulevard giving up some nice fish.

Riviera Bait & Tackle (727-954-6365): Jacob says sheepshead fishing has been hot, and more black drum have been reported. Docks and bridges, as well as any rocky structure is producing fish for anglers using live and frozen shrimp. Trout fishing has improved, and many are taking fish on the grass flats below the Gandy Bridge area. A few flounder have shown up in recent catches. Reds have been in the shallows around mangroves, often running with schools of mullet. Snook have made a strong move into canals and creeks, with the top of the bay offering the better action. A few sharks up to about 3 feet are being hooked and some have been doing well on gag grouper in the bay shipping channels.