It’s November and Tampa Bay is in a full fall weather pattern. By now the air temperature has been averaging in the pleasant seventies and as the water temperature reaches the magic number of around seventy-five degrees it has sparked the fish to prepare for the winter months ahead; meaning they will be feeding heavily. Fish have started to migrate into the creeks and rivers where they will spend most of the winter months, this makes it for excellent fishing due to the fact that the fish stage up in large numbers and some days it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Snook, Speckled Trout, Redfish and Spanish Mackerel have been the hot bite inshore this time of year.
Bait has been consistent and can still be found on the flats. Searching for bait can be one of the most frustrating parts of fishing but also one of the most important; except for all the artificial anglers, you guys can skip past this section and if your not a morning person then your local bait shop is your best option. Ever heard of the saying, "The early bird gets the worn"? Well, this is key in successfully netting bait. I have found that dawn is the prime time to be staged up on a flat chumming for bait. One of the main indicators that there is bait on a flat is going to be pelicans, if you find pelicans diving into the water that is a sign that there is most likely some bait in the area. When you find the bait anchor up and mix some purina tropical fish food with menhaden oil and water in a small bucket to an oatmeal texture. Start to throw dime size pieces in the same area to get the bait fish to school up; GIVE IT TIME! at least 10-15 minutes or until you see the bait getting thick. You also want to be aware of the tidal flow and the position of your boat, make sure that you see the direction that the chum is drifting and make and adjustment on where you are throwing it. It's not fun when you have the chum and bait drift away from you and your unable to reach it with the net.
Our top cast net of choice is a 3/8 mesh 12ft. A cast net of this size allows you to cover a large area and decreases the amount of throws you will be making. If the bait in your area is small I would suggest using a 1/4 mesh net, this will prevent your bait from getting gilled in your net.
By now you should have blacked out all your livewells and your boat should look like you just pulled it out of the showroom floor. Wishful thinking at its finest.
Well, lets go fishing!
Upper Tampa Bay has been on fire right now. Fishing the creeks with moving water has been producing a great bite ; Snook, Speckled Trout, Redfish and the occasional Spanish Mackerel have all been caught. Look for the fish to be staging up near oyster bars, mangrove lines and drop off's. Try different locations till you find them and when you do continue to fish the area because they will most likely be schooled up. Fishing with the tides will be your best bet, as the tide goes out start inside the creek and work your way out with the tide, do the complete opposite for an incoming tide.
Tackle of choice: TFO GIS 7' Medium action rod, Penn Fierce II, 15lbs Ohero braid and 25lbs Ohero fluoro Carbon with a #1 Trident circle hook.
Get out on the water and enjoy this great fall fishing!