TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

A Little Break In Weather

ADVERTISEMENT

By MIKE ANDERSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 14, 2009

GO FISHING is a look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Mike Anderson, right, with "Reel Animals" partner Billy Nobles.

This week's weather has been pretty good, and it allowed us to get out and do some cool things.

Monday morning, Billy and I made our way to Cape Canaveral for an offshore trip with captain Jeff Brown. Even with a big, bright moon the night before, we still managed a nice catch of red snapper, lane snapper, flounder and even mixed in a nice cobia for good measure.

We were fishing in 125 feet of water about 18 miles offshore. Bottom fishing with 10-ounce leads and 6- to 8-inch live cigar minnows seemed to work best.

The Tampa Bay bite was fairly decent later in the week as warmer days meant warmer Bay temps and an increased appetite for our redfish and trout. Big schools of redfish have moved in during this moon and taken over the flats in the Fort DeSoto, Terra Ceia and Sarasota Bay areas.

Captain Mark Thomas, fishing the south shore of Tampa Bay, reports great sheepshead fishing, especially on the negative low tides in the deeper holes in the backcountry from his airboat. Free-lined shrimp worked best.

Captain Sergio Atanes also checked in with a great deepwater sheepshead bite out along the shipping channel edge. He caught several fish in the 4- to 6-pound range by just soaking some live shrimp near the bottom.

Catch captains Billy Nobles and Mike Anderson on the "Reel Animals Fishing Show" on Saturdays from 6:30-7 a.m. and Sundays from 11-11:30 a.m. on WFLA, News Channel 8, and on Sundays from 8-10 a.m. on 1040 AM. To book a charter, call 1-866-GAMEFISH or visi

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT