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Weekly fishing report

Posted Dec 29, 2011 by Tribune Sports

Updated Dec 29, 2011 at 05:39 PM

BY JIM LEE

Freshwater

Bass catches have been very good overall this week. The wind was a problem in some big open lakes, but not everywhere. Not much information on speckled perch (crappie), but you can catch them. Use a drift anchor (or two) and go after them. Go fish.

KISSIMMEE CHAIN: Grape Hammock Fish Camp, (863) 692-1500: Bass fishing continues to be great. Bass to 3, 4, 5 and more are being caught on both live bait and artificial lures. Due to the winds, most anglers are fishing for specks early in the mornings and catching about half the limit by noon.

LORIDA-ISTOKPOGA: Trails End Fishing Resort guide service, (863) 655-0134: Big bass have started. One bass tipping the scales at just less than 11 pounds was reported. No news on speckled perch, but indications are that they are being taken in good numbers.

LAKE OKEECHOBBEE: Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort, 800-473-6766: Bass catches are up. Bass numbers were good again this week. Bass to the 8 pound class were taken. The cold weather is expected to get the specks back on track this week. Go fish.

LAKES TARPON AND ROUSSEAU: Captain Frank Bourgeois, (352) 666-6234: Lake Rousseau bass action is fair. One angler reported he took a couple smaller fish earlier in the week. Catches of 4 to 10 fish are typical. Speckled perch are being caught. No large fish were reported. Artificial jerk baits work well in this lake, but shiners will take the larger fish more often.

LAKE PANASOFFKEE: Pana Vista Lodge, (352) 793-2061: Bass action on live shiners took a 10 pound fish and several bass over 8 pounds were taken. A few specks are showing, but not in any numbers yet.

Saltwater

Spotted sea trout open in the Southern Region (south of Howard Park) the first of January. There are plenty of red grouper in 40 to 50 feet, close in these days, but finding a keeper size red grouper in about 1 in 100. Gag grouper are illegal to take, although they are in great abundance. Inshore, the trout catches have been off except in a few places. Tampa Bay has been fairly good, but most are shorter than 20 inches. Better catches reported as far South as Sarasota and are really good as far over in the panhandle as Perry. In Tarpon springs you need to fish the drop off places and deeper holes. The Bayport area has been tough lately with mostly smaller trout. Redfish can be found around docks, up the Anclote and Cotee Rivers. Trout have been on the shoreline flats, but are back upstream in the creeks and rivers this week with the cold weather. Flounder are still inshore and are most anywhere from the Skyway to Crystal River. Sheepshead are a great target fish and they are big. Sheepshead to 9 pounds are being caught. Fish the docks, structure, canals and any place that will hold fish.

10,000 ISLANDS: Captain Corey McMillin, (239) 695-4420: Snook have been great. The cool weather will give them lockjaw for a few days until it worms up a bit. Redfish and trout are the other targets most anglers fishing the 10,000 islands fish for. Goliath grouper are readily available in the deep holes, but you must return them unmolested. Don’t take them out of the water even for a picture. Goliath grouper are so thick offshore they are taking over the grouper and mangrove snapper holes. They will steal anything you hook in some areas.

SARASOTA: Captain Rick Grassett, (941) 350-9790 or (941) 923-7799: Stellar fishing. The gulf beaches produced 8 little tunny on flies. Little tunny (bonito) are a hoot on a fly rod. Mackerel were also taken on flies. Several triple tails were taken on flies to, with one at 5.5 pounds. A few trout were also taken on Clouser flies. A night snook trip in Venice produced over 40 snook up to 24 inches, 8 trout to 20 inches and 4 redfish. The customer stated hat it was the best fishing trip the customer has ever had.

RUSKIN: South Shore Bait & Tackle, (813) 641-2010: Good numbers of slot size redfish are still being caught. Trout will be legal on January 1. Trout numbers are pretty good in this area. A few resident tarpon are still at the power plant. Snook were the talk of the back country, but cooler weather may dampen that bite. Large sheepshead up to 8 and 9 pounds are being caught in the bay.

SKYWAY AREA: Captain Sergio Atanes, (813) 973-7132: Trout will be back on the menu on the first of January. Sheepshead, flounder and redfish are the main targets in this area. Fishing before the front was very good. However, the sheepshead bite will still be very good, and with trout opening in January, good catches are predicted.

LOWER TAMPA BAY: Captain Tony Frankland, (813) 915-8541: Before the front, big bluefish and mackerel were biting well in the bay. Now, after the cold front hit, bait is scattered. Some redfish are being caught around the docks, but most are small. Sheepshead bite is very good on the edge of the ships channel rocks. The snook bite has been excellent, but the cold front may cool them off a little.

UPPER TAMPA BAY: Cody’s Bait & Tackle, (813) 884-3100: Look for silver trout until the first of the year, then your can keep spotted sea trout. Currently, redfish, and sheepshead are the best bite. Snook have been biting, but with the cooler weather will be tough to find.

SOUTH PINELLAS: Captain Paul Hawkins, (727) 560-6762: Redfish and trout release have been the bulk of the action. Mackerel have also been easy to catch, but were scattered. On January 1, spotted sea trout will be back in season, so plan ahead. With the new trout rules, there is some question as to whether trout will be closed in the northern region in February. Pompano and bonito have also been available.

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 are easier to catch out in the main part of the bay. Weedon Island will produce redfish and soon speckled trout when they come back in season.

CLEARWATER TO DUNEDIN: Captain Brian Mathey, (727) 667-8291: Fish the shoreline for redfish and the spoil islands for trout. Catches have been great, but the cool front will change that for a few days. Use a live shrimp or white bait with a split shot on to keep the bait on the bottom. January trout are open everywhere. The jury is still out on the February closure.

TARPON SPRINGS: Captain Rich Knox, (727) 376-8809 or (727) 808-6688: White bait has been easy. The trout, snook and redfish bite has been good. However the weather change may change some of that. Fish the creeks, rivers around docks and structure for redfish and trout. Reds were caught on artificial lures including scented jerk baits. However, live shrimp or white bait may be better now.

KEATON BEACH (PERRY): One More Cast guide service, (850) 584-9145: It was another great week. Lots of trout were taken on artificial lures as well as live bait under Cajun Thunder floats. Salt water Assassins, Slurps and Gulps were the stars of artificial baits. In addition to trout, flounder were also caught. A few reds were also found.

HERNANDO BEACH: Captain Frank Bourgeois, (352) 666-6234: There are lots of trout and reds in the creeks and close in the shoreline. Artificial lures allow you to work a larger territory than live baits. Saltwater Assassins were the bait that worked best this week. Nine mile flats are not currently producing trout as they have in the past. In this windy cold weather, fish protected areas for better catches. Offshore, red grouper, gray snapper and gag grouper to release are all available offshore when the weather improves. There are plenty of gag and red grouper in 20 to 35 feet of water. The rules for red grouper have changed. You can now keep 4 red grouper 20 inches or more. Good luck finding even one.

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

FLY FISHING: Cold and winds are no excuse. Fish anyway. Flounder, redfish, trout and sheepshead are all available. Go thrash the water.