If you’ve never achieved an “Inshore Slam” now is the time! Every year when spring rolls around, the grass flats throughout Tampa Bay come alive. As baitfish start moving onto the flats, snook, redfish and seatrout follow. When this occurs, it’s the easiest time to achieve an inshore slam. If you don’t know what that is, it’s when you catch a snook, redfish and seatrout on the same outing. Now many of you may think that should be easy. Well, it’s easier said than done for some people. You’d be surprised how many people have been fishing with me that have never caught a slam. Occasionally, I meet a few anglers who have lived in the Tampa Bay area and fished all their life, but the slam eludes them. If an inshore slam is something you would like to pursue, you might assume that catching a seatrout would be the easiest and save that for last. Not necessarily, at times it can be the most difficult to land. That’s why many times, I’ll start out fishing around some sandy potholes on the grass flats trying to catch the seatrout first. If I have no success, I’ll move on snook and redfish and come back to seatrout to close the deal. While in pursuit, here’s where I look for that snook and redfish. With water temperatures back in the low 70s snook are moving out of the back bays, creeks, and rivers and seeking shelter along the mangrove shorelines and points. Snook feed best on a good tidal flow. Some days it may vary whether they prefer an incoming or outgoing. So, just make sure the current is moving. To get the action going, I toss out a few live scaled sardines and wait for the snook to respond by attacking the freebies. Once they start feeding, I have you cast a hooked live sardine to the same spot for an instant hook up. If you get lucky, you’ll be able to catch numerous snook in the same spot. If I’m fishing during an incoming tide and it’s reaching its peak, I’ll move on to redfish. Redfish like to feed on crustaceans around oyster beds and barnacle encrusted mangrove roots during a high tide. When I find a spot with both, I’ve found a redfish goldmine. Redfish also like to travel with mullet. The reason: mullet flush baitfish and crustaceans out of the grass as they feed. Anytime I spot a school of mullet I get out in front of them and Power Pole down. In either scenario, I always start by chumming with scaled sardines. After that, you cast a bait out that’s suspended under a cork. Once the cork goes under, give the fish 2-3 seconds to eat the bait, then when you reel and get your line tight, lift your rod for a solid hook set. Afishionado, “Always an Adventure.”

If you’ve never eaten snook, your chance is coming up. Beginning September 1st through December 1st, snook are open to harvest. Clients ask me all the time how they taste, and I always reply, better than a grouper. Those who know would hungrily agree. The size limit on the Gulf coast for snook ranges between 28-inches and 33-inches. There is also a daily recreational bag limit of one per harvester. The three species that have been most cooperative lately are mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, and seatrout. Mangrove snapper are feeding heavily around most bridge pilings, rocky shorelines, and artificial reefs. Once anchored or spot locked, I always chum with fresh cut bait or live bait to get the action going. If there’s some tidal movement, I’ll put a small piece of split shot just above the hook to get the bait down. Most of the time when the snapper begin to feed Spanish mackerel start showing up in the same spot. Then it’s pure mayhem. Between snapper occasionally getting you hung up in structure and mackerel cutting off your hook with their sharp teeth, I find myself constantly rigging. As for the seatrout, they bite best on a strong moving tidal flow. Tampa Bay is dotted with grass flats throughout, so I just pick a flat and work it over. I concentrate most of my efforts around the sandy potholes scattered about the flats. I like to Power-Pole down and work one section at a time. In closing, more than ever, I keep an eye out for manatees. Manatees typically mate between March and September, with multiple male manatees competing to breed with a female. Manatee mating herds are interesting to watch as several bulls (males) pursue a cow (female) until she is ready to mate. For everyone’s safety, I watch these mating herds from a distance as the animals are focused on mating and do not heed intruders in their midst. It’s also important to remember, touching or disturbing manatees is not only illegal, but can also be extremely dangerous. Afishionado, “Always an Adventure.”

Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper and spotted seatrout are keeping anglers busy with non-stop action. Whether you want some fish for dinner or just want catch and release, now is an excellent time to go fishing aboard Afishionado.

Fishing has been outstanding for the most part. The majority of what’s been biting are snook, mangrove snapper, seatrout, silver trout, Spanish mackerel, sharks, and a few redfish. Sure, there have been a few days where the fish bite has been slow, but that’s why it’s called fishing. If you’re looking to keep some fish for dinner, the only species that’s closed to harvest right now is snook. Other than that, putting fish in the box has been a given. So, if you’re looking to catch dinner or just catch and release, book an adventure with Afishionado Guide Services today.

For pure excitement, it’s hard to beat the Spanish mackerel and bonnethead shark fishing right now, especially, if you have kids on board. Both species are being caught in the same location and by using the same tactics. Hard bottom or along the edges of deep grass flats are the places I find both. I first anchor or spot-lock my boat. Then I start a fresh bait chum slick by drifting chunks of cut bait fish down current. For bait on the hook, I have my clients free-line small to medium sized white bait or medium to large shrimp. That’s right, shrimp! Some days bonnethead sharks prefer shrimp. To help prevent cut-offs, use a long shank hook tied onto a three-foot section of 30lb. fluorocarbon leader. Fluorocarbon works better than wire leader because it increases the number of strikes. The snook spawn started this month, which also means they’re closed to harvest until September. Snook spawn along deep-water mangrove shorelines, in the passes, around deep-water structures, and bridges. They will remain in these locations throughout the summer. A strong moving incoming or outgoing tide are usually the best for the most action. Mangrove Snapper begin their spawn in May also. During this time, they are extremely aggressive and will absolutely devour baits as soon as they hit the water. Many times, my clients catch Mangrove snapper while fishing for snook and redfish along mangrove shorelines. “They don’t call them Mangrove snapper for nothing!” When I just want to target them, I anchor near bridge pilings or over structure and you guessed it, start a chum slick. The redfish bite was inconsistent inshore last month, but it’s improving since the cold fronts have stopped and the rainy season is getting near. When looking for redfish, I always check out oyster beds and look for mullet. The reason behind looking for mullet is that redfish often travel with them. “Afishionado, Always an Adventure!”

If you are visiting the area and staying in hotels on the beach, you have probably noticed some effects of Red Tide. The first things you may notice are a scratchy throat and coughing. The next thing you may witness are dead fish. Unfortunately, there has been a Red Tide bloom that has continued to plague the Pinellas coastline and kill fish for over three months now. The good news is there are no signs of Red Tide in upper Tampa Bay where I’m located and the fishing is excellent. The snook, redfish and seatrout are plentiful and more than willing to take a bait. Today, Lamar, Chaz and Wally caught snook at every stop. So, what are you waiting for? Book your adventure now, and let’s go catch some fish!