Tarpon Springs Fishing guide Capt. Rich Knox of Absolute Florida Flats Fishing reports inshore fishing excitement is to be had with water temperatures approaching 80*F, snook fishing, Red-fishing, Trout fishing have all been very good as long as the tide is flowing, if you had a fish fry in mind there are still good sizes Spotted Sea Trout around, sometimes mixed right in with them are snook and red-fish. Inshore flats Fishing from the main shoreline running from New Port Richey , Tarpon Springs south to Clearwater on out to the barrier island’s has been very good. Snook are gathering in and around the passes with spawn beginning, red-fish can be found in the mangroves and oyster bars or look for broken bottom near the bush’s, the keeper sized trout fishing has been good near the passes and a lot of inshore channels that have structure un the edges, Tarpon are being spotted around the barrier island passes on or nearby the large sandbars also moving up and down the beach from 100′ to 1/4 mile off, stealthy approach’s are the only way you will get near them to make an accurate cast to the slow moving pod’s.
The bait of choice for all these species will feast on pilchard’s, aka (scaled sardines/whitebait) they can be chummed up with a mixture of tropical fish food, can of Jack Mackerel and some menhaden oil mixed real well, along the grass flats inside of major passes and cast-netted, you’ll need a couple hundred so you can live chum the areas you plan or see the fish to get the feeding frenzy started.
