Absolute Florida Flats Fishing and Guide Service reports excellent near-shore reef and wreck fishing, with all the calm winds and abundance of hatched out pilchards , plus other huge schools of Spanish sardines, all pelagic and bottom dwelling species are co-operating. All the recent fishing charters from the 1st artificial reef’s to some nearby wrecks and rock piles have been yielding big Bonita, King-fish, Spanish Mackerel, Gag grouper, Red Grouper, Snapper, and Black-tip Shark ! The water has cleared up alot since Tropical storm Debby and with 1-2 foot seas the run out has been very pleasurable, it also seems to be cooler offshore, the water temperature were hovering at 85*F, with a gentle breeze all week, the up-coming week is calling for the same conditions. The bait of choice, to cover all bases, seem to be the pilchard everything, even nice grunts ate them willingly. Our fishing guide service had the opportunity to lead client’s in comfort to this great fishery all week, Jamie from Tampa, fl. (holding keeper Gag grouper) took his visiting father Dennis from Colorado and scored all the above mentioned species in a 1/2 day near-shore fishing trip, and took home plenty of good eating filleted fish for some future dinners.
