Tampa Bay - South Shore

We finally got a break from the heat, but it was windy and rainy for most of the week with plenty of late summer thunder. Fortunately I was up early Monday morning and aware of what was coming. It was dead flat calm when I lowered the skiff into the Little Manatee River at 9:00 a.m. and I was soon headed out to the middle of the bay. A week earlier, Roger Mills and I had seen birds working the surface around the ship’s channel and we got into a school of bluefish. I was looking for an instant replay with the fly rod. Just south of the Bahia Beach Reef I encountered a flock of terns diving on a surface commotion. Turns out it was a big school of ladyfish, which suited my seven weight fly rod just fine. After catching a couple, I ambled further south. I caught nothing but ladyfish until I got past Port Manatee, then I picked up a flock of birds with the binoculars off towards St. Pete. I put the boat on plane, and when I got closer I saw a mackerel launch into the air. Amazing how they can leap so high and reenter the water without hardly making a splash. The fish were thick and were not especially shy of the boat, so I shut the engine down and drifted with them for the better part of half an hour. I caught several nice fish that I immediately iced for supper. The rest of the week the wind kept all but the most determined anglers at the dock, so I did some exploring around the mouth of the Little Manatee River. I’m happy to report I saw plenty of fish – mostly little mangrove snapper, but quite a few snook (mainly shorts) and a good number of sheepshead. Weather finally changes for the better tomorrow and I will be out looking for the fall run of redfish. To contact Capt. Fred, call 813 830 8890, or visit his website at Tampabayfishingguide.com.