Reports: Trout fishing has been good at night

Posted Apr 25, 2012 by TBO.com

Updated Apr 25, 2012 at 11:52 AM

BY NICK STUBBS
Media General News Service

Pier 60, (727) 462-6466: Mack says there have been a few kings hooked at the pier on Clearwater Beach, including one that took a rod over the railing. There are a few pompano being taken on jigs tipped with shrimp and bumped along the bottom. Trout fishing has been good at night, with a 23-inch fish caught in the past week. Some bluefish and blue runners are being landed, along with jacks.

The Long Pier, (727) 391-9398: Bob says the kingfish bite continues, with most fish falling between 20 and 25 pounds. The action has been with live bait from the end of the pier at Redington Shores. Tarpon of 100 pounds or better are being hooked from the end of the pier, also on live bait. Lots of flounder are being taken, with fish 12 to 20 inches taking live bait and jigs on the bottom. Trout fishing has been good after dark, with most of the keepers running 15 to 17 inches, and lots of shorts. Mackerel are schooling during the day but running small at 13 to 15 inches. Just one or two pompano are being hooked per day, but those landed have been big, at 2 to 3 pounds. Some drum have been caught, with most 14 to 20 inches. A few snook are being seen near the beach early in the morning, but none are being caught.

Fisherman’s World, (727) 942-8944: Dave says the wind and rain from the last front put the clamps on fishing. The weather is shaping up for a great weekend coming up, and conditions are perfect for kingfish. Anglers will find fish from the first hard bottom on out. Inshore, things should pick up where they left off, with good trout action on the grass flats and spoil islands along St. Joseph Sound. A regular at the shop has been targeting flounder, and says there are enough fish around to target them effectively. He’s been scoring fish to 20 inches. Once the water calms down, anglers should be able to spot tarpon rolling. The area off Fred Howard Park, in Tarpon Springs, was showing a lot of fish.

One Stop Bait and Tackle, (727) 842-5610: Joe says the rain and winds of the weekend cut into the fishing, but prior to the bad weather, he got some good reports of keeper-sized cobia on the grass flats up and down the coast. Fish can be attracted with chum, or look for them following stingrays. Trout have been another good bet, also on the grass flats between 4 and 8 feet of water. Jigs or live shrimp will get them. Reds have been scattered and a little hard to pin down. Kings have been from just offshore of Anclote Key out 20 miles or more, over hard bottom. When the weather permits, the odds are good anglers slow trolling live baits, spoons or plugs will turn up some nice fish.

Anclote Bait and Tackle, (727) 945-1808: Ray says the weather was the biggest obstacle for anglers to overcome the past week. An angler out just before the winds and rains arrived with the front got into some good trout action on the grass flats off the Anclote River, but also ran into a lot of ladyfish. As the weather permits, look for the trout in 3 to 7 feet of water over lush grass bottom. Kings have been scattered, but prior to the blow, the better action was 23 miles off Anclote Key.