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Weekly Fishing Report

Posted Jan 13, 2012 by Tribune Sports

Updated Jan 13, 2012 at 01:06 PM

BY JIM LEE

Fishing results and tips for freshwater and saltwater spots, including Tampa Bay and area locations.

Freshwater

Great weather after the last cold front provided great catches for most. Bass action resumed with a fury. Specks are beginning to school up in larger groups prior to the spawn. However, the bad news is that the new cold front that came in Wednesday could put a crimp in the bass catches. The other good news is that it won’t be very bad. Bass will acclimate quickly and by the weekend, good fish can be taken. Go fish.

KISSIMMEE CHAIN: Grape Hammock Fish Camp, (863) 692-1500: Big fish and lots of them. One 11-pound, 8-ounce bass was taken on a wild shiner. Bass catches in general have been very good up until Wednesday. Speckled perch anglers are loading the boats with both minnows and jigs.

LORIDA-ISTOKPOGA: Trails End Fishing Resort guide service, (863) 655-0134: Bass catches are great with bass in the 7- to 10-pound range all on artificial lures. The abrupt cold weather brought out the specks and anglers are scooping them up.

LAKE OKEECHOBBEE: Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort, 800-473-6766: Bass catches are excellent. Several bass in the 8 pound range were caught this week. However no good news on the specks, even after the cold weather that normally cranks them up.

LAKE ROUSSEAU: Captain Frank Bourgeois, (352) 666-6234: Specks are being caught in decent numbers. Bass numbers are not up to par and haven’t been for a while. The river is where the action is. Bass in the 4- to 6-pound range are an easy catch with artificial lures or live bait.

LAKE PANASOFFKEE: Pana Vista Lodge, (352) 793-2061: The specks have blossomed some. Speckled perch are biting, but not in large numbers. Most anglers are getting a few, up to 15 fish. Bass action has been excellent. Bass from 4 to 6 pounds are common. No really large fish were taken this week.

Saltwater

Spotted sea trout are open along the whole coastline and should stay that way. Sheepshead, flounder, redfish and a few bluefish are being taken. Offshore, there are plenty of gag grouper in 40 to 50 feet, but are not legal to take. Red grouper catch numbers increased to 4 fish, but finding a keeper size red grouper is about 1 in 100. Trout catches are not what they should be this time of year in the Tampa bay area in general. Good catches are spotty most are shorter than 20 inches. Fish up rivers and creeks for reds and trout after the new cold front hits. Fish the docks with live bait. Flounder are still inshore and are most anywhere from the Skyway to Crystal River. Lots of sheepshead up to 9 pounds are being caught most everywhere. Fish the docks, structure, canals and any place that will hold fish.

10,000 ISLANDS: Captain Corey McMillin, (239) 695-4420: Great redfish catches and good snook catches have resumed after the cold snap. Trout and reds will continue, but we may get a hiccup on the snook bite for a couple of days if this current cold front affects them.

SARASOTA: Captain Rick Grassett, (941) 350-9790 or (941) 923-7799: Great catches this week. Fly anglers wading in Sarasota bay took lots of redfish and trout on Grassett’s Flats Minnow fly. Pompano, flounder and trout were taken on Cal Jigs on another day.

RUSKIN: South Shore Bait & Tackle, (813) 641-2010: Redfish are still your best target to shoot for. Of course now you can keep trout and a lot of trout are being caught. Snook catches have resumed since the cold front last week. Let’s hope the current front was not tough enough to affect them.

SKYWAY AREA: Captain Sergio Atanes, (813) 973-7132: Trout, sheepshead, flounder and redfish are the bulk of the catch. Good trout and redfish catches are there for the taking. Sheepshead are a fun fish to catch and great table fare. Fishing before the new front was excellent, and good catches should resume by the weekend.

LOWER TAMPA BAY: Captain Tony Frankland, (813) 915-8541: NO REPORT.

UPPER TAMPA BAY: Cody’s Bait & Tackle, (813) 884-3100: Trout, trout and more trout. Now that the season is open catches are great. Both the flats and the canals are producing good fish. Reds have picked up some but may have gone under a day or two with the current front. When all else fails, go sheepshead hunting.

SOUTH PINELLAS: Captain Paul Hawkins, (727) 560-6762: Trout and redfish are the main targets these days. Pompano are around where you find them. Trout are open all up and down the entire coast now. Cotee jigs and Cotee shrimp are taking trout and redfish.

FISHING PIERS: South Pier, (941) 729-0117: Expect the unexpected. Pier fishing offers most of the current species being caught in the bay. Fish the pier for Mangrove snapper, trout, redfish, perhaps a flounder and even a stray grouper. But you can’t keep the trout until January. Grouper are off limits.

MID-PINELLAS PARTY BOATS: Offshore bottom fishing from Hubbard’s John’s Pass Marina and Kingfish dock, (727) 393-1947: Gag grouper are not in season just as the bite gets good. Red grouper are available by the ton, but most all are short fish. The ration of keepers to undersize fish is 1 to 100. Gray snapper are big and there are plenty of them. Go offshore for a deep sea fishing extravaganza. Fish the deeper waters for great mangrove snapper catches. Black sea bass, porgies are also on the list.

GANDY BAIT & TACKLE: (813) 839-5551: The Gandy Bridge is closed to fishing. However, Gandy Bait and Tackle is the place to go in this area for live bait and tackle and information. The upper bay action is picking up. Mangrove snapper and a few sheepshead are moving up into the bay. Mackerel and blues should be coming back between fronts. Weedon Island is producing trout and redfish.

CLEARWATER TO DUNEDIN: Captain Brian Mathey, (727) 667-8291: Trout fishing is good. Some good size trout over 20 inches reported. Reds are on the barrier islands, mostly on the inside. Fish the spoil islands and pot holes for trout.

TARPON SPRINGS: Captain Rich Knox, (727) 376-8809 or (727) 808-6688: Reds are not taking anything. Not even scented baits took these reds. Only pinfish were tearing up the jigs. However, great trout catches are the norm. This weekend, drift the flats and work the deep holes. White bait is still here due to the cold gulf waters. Fish the creeks and river for both trout and reds. Things should get rougher after the Friday front. Fish the mullet schools for redfish and trout in the schools.

KEATON BEACH (PERRY): One More Cast guide service, (850) 584-9145: Due to technical difficulties there is no report.

HERNANDO BEACH: Captain Frank Bourgeois, (352) 666-6234: Offshore fishing is fantastic. Over 160 gray snapper were caught and released. Over 20 gag grouper from 25 to 30 inches were caught and released. 2 short red grouper were caught and released. You can keep 4 red grouper over 20 inches, but here aren’t many to find. Inshore fishing is best in the creeks and residential canals. After the weekend front, fish the shallows. After the sun gets up the trout go to the warm spots. .

WEEKIWACHEE: Captain Steve Soults, Angling Adventures (352) 686-0853: NO REPORT.

FLY FISHING: Take that freshwater bass or bluegill 4 or 5 weight rod and go for speckled trout and redfish. So you catch a large fish the hard way. That is what fly fishing is all about. With Clouser flies, flounder and sheepshead are great targets. Be sure to tip the Clouser with a piece of shrimp when fishing for sheepshead. Go thrash the water.