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Fish Are Ahead Of The Calendar

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Ray Markham.

According to my calendar, the first day of summer is June 20, but the fish in my area are already in a summer pattern.
Water temperatures already have started bumping up into the low 90s in some of the back bay areas at the south end of Tampa and Terra Ceia bays.

Algae has begun to bloom, giving the water a greenish tint, but late afternoon rain here could slow things back down.

Tarpon couldn't be more comfortable with the heat. Bait schools are finding their way onto the beaches and around some hard-bottom spots in lower Tampa Bay around the Sunshine Skyway, and the tarpon are happy just hanging with the bait.

But for more sensitive fish like spotted sea trout, late in the day you will find them on deep grass beds in 6 to 8 feet of water. Jigs, like the CAL Shad, Love's Lures Tandems, artificial shrimp such as a glow DOA Shrimp, and slow-sinking plugs like the Rapala X-Rap and MirrOlure TTR series lures, are a good bet for picking up trout here.

Of course, live shrimp are always a good bet, but with the number of pinfish in the bay, they won't last long. Around daybreak, water temperatures are back down in the lower or mid 80s. During that time, the water holds a higher level of dissolved oxygen, and many of the larger fish will move to the shallows.

With a little higher tides in the morning this week, this will be a prime shot at breaking out topwater plugs for trout. Some of my favorites are the MirrOlure Top Dog, Rapala Skitterwalk and the Storm Chug Bug, and all are very productive lures for heart-pounding strikes.

Ray Markham co-hosts "Florida Sportsman Magazine Radio Live," Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. on WWBA, 1040 AM, and may be reached for charter at (941) 723-2655.

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