Up The River With Shamrock

With water temperatures in the mid to low sixties the anglers best bet is to fish the Bay's tributaries. Many saltwater species including tarpon, snook, redfish and big jacks are in the process of finding santuary in their winter time haunts. During recent trips up the Alifia River(in the Tampa Bay area) we have had sucess landing snook, reds and large mouth bass, while free lining live shinners under docks and around freshwater springheads.If you can find small nile perch in the two-five inch range, give them a try. They tend to cast and last alot longer than shinners. And snook and bass eat em up. Now, is also the time of year to break out those artificals. Shad and pearl colored Bass Assasins have proven to be deadly when worked in a typical bass fishing fashion. By this I mean methodically working the shore lines and drop-offs with the trolling motor in stealth mode, making every cast count. It is not unusual to land a snook on one cast, an a large mouth bass the very next. Just one of Tampa Bay's winter time phenominas; or even better yet, if " Lady Luck " is on your side you may pull off the " Alifia Slam " . A snook, a redfish an a large mouth bass. See ya up the river, capt. Sean Hagen {%image_id=3751%} {%image_id=3750%} {%image_id=3749%} {%image_id=3748%}