Around Tampa Bay

1: At Big Pier 60 in Clearwater, silver trout, whiting and croakers have been steady catches this week. Spanish mackerel have shown back up and a few spotted trout have also been caught. Bonnethead sharks were caught on Wednesday. Pier hours are currently 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice, reports Big Pier 60 Bait & Tackle (727-462-6466).

2: At Madeira Beach, “nearshore it’s hogfish, hogfish and more hogfish. The best bite is in water 40 to 60 feet deep. There’s also plenty of lane and mangrove snapper mixed in with them,” reports Capt. Dylan Hubbard of Hubbard’s Marina (727-393-1947). Deeper offshore, the red grouper bite is best at 120 foot along with the occasional scamp grouper. A few blackfin tuna are also biting. Anglers should note the 20-fathom or 120-foot closure for all shallow water grouper is in place through the end of March, reports Hubbard.

3: At John's Pass, the sheepshead bite is really good around the bridge and the docks on fiddler crabs and shrimp. A few nice snook have also been caught around the docks, including a 32-incher on Wednesday. A good number of redfish are biting around the docks. Speckled trout action is good at night around the bridge and dock lights. Pompano have been caught around the passes and some of the area bridges this week. Whiting are biting from the jetty and along the beach, reports Hubbard.

4: At Fort De Soto Park, there’s plenty of sheepshead around the bridge, the marina and the area docks. Pompano have been caught around the bridges and at Pass-a-Grille on Doc’s Jigs. The snook, redfish and trout bite has been very good along the mangrove flats. At the pier, there’s plenty of sheepshead and Spanish mackerel have been caught this week. Whiting have been caught along the beach and near the passes, reports the Bait Bucket (727-864-2108). 

Fish of the Day

Pompano: The fish have shown up in a number of spots around the Tampa Bay area this week. Shrimp and Doc’s Goofy Jigs are getting the bite.

Strike Zone: 3, 4, 7, 8

5: Around the Sunshine Skyway and lower Tampa Bay, sheepshead are all over structure around the Skyway, the reefs in the bay, and the nearshore reefs. Snook, redfish and trout are roaming the flats and between fronts, they’re feeding in spring time patterns. Redfish are ranging from 20 to 34 inches and snook up to 33 inches have been caught. reports Capt. Shawn Crawford of Florida Sport Fishing Outfitters. (941-705-3160). 

6: At Anna Maria, good numbers of speckled trout are biting in the sound around the deep grass flats, ledges and potholes. Docks around the north end are holding a variety of fish including redfish. The backside of Palma Sola Bay is holding snook and redfish, but the fish are “spooky.” The bridges are holding good numbers of sheepshead around the pilings, along with structure around Longboat Pass, reports Crawford.

7: At St. Petersburg, pompano are biting around the Sunshine Skyway, the Misener Bridge and the bridges around St. Pete Beach, reports Bill Robinson at Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551). All the creeks and bayous are holding snook. The snook bite is also good around Coquina Key and the docks of Pinellas Point and some redfish are mixed in. Redfish are also biting at Tarpon Key and around the oyster beds in Mullet Key Basin. Speckled trout action is good on the north side of Tarpon Key and the deep grass flats of Pinellas Point. Sheepshead are biting around the rock piles and bridges. Whiting and silver trout are biting in deeper water channels and cuts around the north Skyway, reports Larry Mastry at Mastry’s Tackle (727-896-8889). 

8: In the north end of Tampa Bay, pompano have been biting on the east side of the bay on shrimp and Doc’s Jigs. The area around MacDill and south of Davis Island have been producing decent numbers. Sheepshead are biting around most structure and the bridges. Mangrove snapper are starting to bite again as well. Trout, snook and redfish are biting on the flats. Cut bait on the bottom has been good for the redfish especially in the upper north part of the bay. A few cobia have been spotted in the upper bay too, reports Robinson. 

Elsewhere

At Homosassa, Spanish mackerel are showing up on the nearshore rocks and deeper channels. Bucktail jigs and spoons are productive and chumming will attract better numbers of fish. Pompano are starting to show around bottom with gravel or deep bottom with sandy holes. They may also be mixed in with trout, bluefish and mackerel on the deeper flats. Sheepshead are still biting on the nearshore rocks and inside the rivers in the deeper holes, reports Capt. William Toney of Homosassa Inshore Fishing Charters (352-621-9284).

At Fort Pierce, offshore it’s been bumpy, but there’s kingfish on the troll around a depth of 80 feet and scattered mahi at a depth of 200 feet. There’s mangrove and mutton snapper, along with cobia on the bottom around 80 feet deep. At the inlet, whiting, croakers and some pompano are biting in the surf. Flounder and bluefish have been caught from the jetty. Snook and a few redfish are taking live baits inside the inlet. Plenty of sheepshead and black drum are biting around the bridges. Deeper water mangroves and docks in the river are producing redfish and trout, reports Clint Walker at the Fishing Center of St. Lucie (772-465-7637).

Compiled By Michael Wilson/Ledger Correspondent