St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay Area 09-12-12

The fishing has been great especially on and around the new and full moon tides with slams of snook, trout and redfish being caught frequently. We are also seeing some nice mangrove snapper, flounder and mackerel coming to the boat.

Moving water is a big plus if you are looking to catch good quantities of fish, so try to plan your trips according to tidal movements and be where you want to fish during the water movement instead of traveling during these peak times for fishing.

Baits that have been working are live scaled sardines, threadfins, shrimp and pinfish. Any of these baits cut into chunks and dead sticked in the rod holder will also produce fish. Try mixing it up between baits and presentation. Try some free lined, under a cork and on the bottom to figure out what they want which can change during the day with conditions.

Areas to fish are 4th St area, Weedon Island, Fort Desoto, Tierra Verde and the south shore. Look for good grass bottom spotted with sand holes, oyster mounds and mangrove shorelines. When looking at these areas look for activity such as mullet, birds and baitfish. These are all signs that can lead you to a productive flat or shoreline.

Here is Dana with a redfish and snook she caught while fishing with cut bait on the bottom with Captain George Hastick.