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Some bites are hot, some are not, with return of cold weather

Photo by Fred Everson

James Johnigean caught plenty of grouper trolling in the bay last week, but this one was the only keeper.

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By FRED EVERSON

Tribune columnist

Published: October 21, 2009

Fred Everson

After the first cold front of the season passed through the Bay early this month, summer weather returned.

The highs were in the low 90s for about a week in mid-October, and that brought the water temperature back up to 89 degrees. That's pretty hot for this time of year.

It has been dry for much of the month, however, and water clarity is improving.

Snook fishing is an event waiting to happen, and the key will be a drop in water temp. Despite the hot weather, there has been a hint of fall in the air, especially around sunrise. I've been catching a few short snook around the docks at the mouth of the Little Manatee River at daybreak, throwing a jig tipped with a plastic mullet.

I took my canoe to Simmons Park last week to see whether there was anything happening on the flats south of Apollo Beach. Despite a low tide late in the morning, I didn't see much. This flat usually begins to come alive with snook, but I suspect the water will have to cool.

The grouper bite was hot last week. James Johnigean of Shell Point in Ruskin said he caught 30 fish while trolling deep-diving plugs, but all but one were short of the 22-inch limit.

I'm seeing a lot of bait on the flats — mostly glass minnows and pinfish, but I also found some good-size sardines.

Midday trout fishing hasn't been productive in the heat, but the bite has been better around sunrise and sunset. The deeper grass flats south of Sand Key have been producing big fish all year.

Trout season will close for a couple of months beginning Nov. 1 and will reopen on New Year's Day.

Another sure sign of fall is the arrival of big schools of jack crevalles. We got into them on the flats in front of Big Pass last week.

These were mostly school-size fish in the 2- to 3-pound class. As the water temperature drops, I expect to see the giant schools of jumbo jacks that typically show up around the mouth of the river in November.

I haven't had a cobia report in a couple of weeks, but these fish should start showing up on the flats later this month, when they begin to migrate south. Water clarity is a little better, but it will probably take another cold front to clear it up enough to sight fish.

Best bet this week will probably be the deep water in the middle of the Bay where Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, jacks, and mangrove snapper are congregating. Look for the birds to find fish feeding on the surface.

Fred Everson is an outdoor writer and fishing guide. All South Shore fishermen and guides may submit information and photos to be included in this column by calling (813) 830-8890 or sending an e-mail to ihuntsnook@aol.com.

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