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Cool days will set things in motion

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By MIKE ANDERSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 3, 2009

Updated: 10/03/2009 12:11 am

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.

Did everybody enjoy Wednesday's cool, crisp morning? I know I did. It made for a stingy day on the water, but it will start to really set things in motion. Fall is upon us, and the fish know it. Big schools of breeder-sized redfish have moved in from Pine Island Sound down in Charlotte Harbor to Sarasota Bay and on up into Tampa Bay. Captain Mike Gore reports the redfish bite is as good as it gets right now in the north part of the Bay. It's also really good around Fort DeSoto.

The shipping channel is still covered with schools of Spanish mackerel, bonita and ladyfish crashing schools of glass minnows. These fish are easy to find - just follow the birds that are picking up the scraps. A silver spoon tied to about 5 inches of light wire and some 40-pound fluorocarbon is pretty tough to beat if you don't want to go through the hassles of catching bait.

The inshore grouper and snapper bites remain strong, and Vance Tice of Tightlines Tackle reports a good trolling bite along the shipping channel edge. We managed to catch some nice mangrove snapper on some of our favorite rock piles.

The snook have started to show up in some of their fall haunts as we poked around this week. Things are only going to heat up from here. There is still an abundance of bait in the Bay, and that will keep things jumping. Redfish, snook, trout, Spanish mackerel, snapper, grouper, cobia and plenty of sharks are all out there right now, just waiting to be caught.

We couldn't wait for fall, and here it comes!

Catch 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, Channel 8, and on Sundays from 7-9 a.m. on 620 AM. To book a charter, call 1-866-GAMEFISH or visit www.reelanimal

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