Absolute Florida Flats Fishing and Guide Service reports with the normal wind and weather patterns returning to our area the inshore flats fishing has been excellent. Breader Snook Fishing in the pass’ from Clearwater, Palm Harbor to Tarpon Springs has been outstanding catching and releasing fish to 30 lb. in good numbers. These fish do have preferences in different places, some beach’s’ and mangrove areas require a variety of baits, pigfish, pinfish, threadfin herring,and scaled sardines are all working, some better than others in a certain locations. Use i conjunction with 10-15 lb. braid with a 25 to 30 lb. flouro-carbon leader and a 1/0 – 2/0 circle or live bait hook. Catch these fish and release them after a photo, hold them horizontally to the water so to not damage there internal organs, this will ensure our fishing for tomorrow! Red-Fishing has also been very good with the easterly winds and good tide days, fish are staging near oyster bars and mangrove shorelines with overhanging limbs, fish the shadow lines with silver-dollar sized pinfish or a medium sized sardine. some of these fish are over the 27″ slot limit so be sure to measure your fish before putting them on the ice if your keeping one for super. Spotted Sea Trout are here as well in decent numbers most fish are 17 to 23 ” be careful to release with care, if you plan to keep some make sure you have plenty of ice with the warm water and air temperatures, all fish will be easier to fillet and not turn soft, it’s not a good idea to just but them in your livewell. The above mentioned tackle will work for all the slam species Snook, Red-fish and the Spoted Sea Trout. Tarpon are showing up in better numbered schools with the better weather patterns and feeding best after the 1st bar off the beach, much heavier tackle is needed for these bruisers 30-50 lb. braid with a 80lb. leader to subdue a 100 lb. fish.
