JUNE/2016 - Fishing has been great the last few months, with Tarpon fishing being one of the best years we have had in a long time. But now as the water temperature is getting up there, you are going to have to change a few things around. Like fishing very early or latter in the day and staying away from the afternoon heat of the day. The fish are just like us, they will find a cooler spot to wait out the hot time of the day, like under the mangrove bushes or in deeper water. The Tarpon are still around in good numbers. Look around the sandy areas around Anclote Island and on the beach side. You will find them rolling early in the mornings on the beach. Target them with the trolling motor and use pin fish under a cork or thread fin under a cork. A good way to hook up is to watch them for a while and see which way they are moving and get ahead of them and have the bait already out in front waiting for them.
The redfish have been hard to find lately. We have had some around but not in any large numbers. But the Snook population is doing great. They are out on the beaches and the islands in good numbers. Target the swash channel on the beach. This is the area that is just off the beach were the water starts to get deeper. If you fish from the beach cast parallel to the beach this will keep you in the strike zone. Night fishing can be very productive, target docks with lights that shine into the water and if it has good moving water all the better. Anchor up current and drift your bait back to the dock to be the most productive. When your night fishing don’t discard fishing on the flats at night. I have had some very productive trips drifting a flat at night. The same flats that you drift during the day are very productive in summer nights. The water temperature will drop several degrees at night and with the afternoon rain showers it will drop even more.
With gag grouper season open the best bite has been in the 35 to 45ft mark. Just remember that there is a new size limit from 22in. to 24 in for keepers. If you don’t fish often offshore or even inshore it’s a good idea to check myfwc.Com for all the new regulations because they change the size and bag limit along with closure’s more than you change your socks . If your home and have nothing to do go to their web site and just try and make heads or tails of all the regulations and size limits it can be very educational, or maybe a little confusing. Now that you are all up to date on all the fishing regulations lets head off shore for some dinner.
So what is there to do if you can’t fish? Scallop hunting is what’s on the menu. Scallop season is in full swing, but not in our area you have to go north of the Pasco county line. Remember if you get Scallops in Hernando county by boat remember not to transport them by boat back into Pasco County to the boat ramp you can get a ticket for having scallops illegally.
With gag grouper season open the best bite has been in the 35 to 45ft mark. Just remember that there is a new size limit from 22in. to 24 in for keepers. If you don’t fish often offshore or even inshore it’s a good idea to check myfwc.Com for all the new regulations because they change the size and bag limit along with closure’s more than you change your socks . If your home and have nothing to do go to their web site and just try and make heads or tails of all the regulations and size limits it can be very educational, or maybe a little confusing. Now that you are all up to date on all the fishing regulations lets head off shore for some dinner.
So what is there to do if you can’t fish? Scallop hunting is what’s on the menu. Scallop season is in full swing, but not in our area you have to go north of the Pasco county line. Remember if you get Scallops in Hernando county by boat remember not to transport them by boat back into Pasco County to the boat ramp you can get a ticket for having scallops illegally.