I love Wal-Mart clearance bins! I check them every time I'm there for steals like this--a Bomber topwater for $2.96 (usually over $10). Make sure you dig all ...more the way to the bottom as there are often only one or two of the best lures. I've found the Pinellas Park and Gandy locations to have the best selection in my area. Happy hunting!
Trout on the flats weren't cooperating in the heat of the day, so these tasty mangos were plan B. Caught under a dock with good tidal movement and a school of ...more hatchling greenies in 7 FOW. Put together bait, current and structure and you'll find the summer snapper! My buddy also caught a short flounder. Mostly sunny, low 90s air, high 80s water, middle outgoing tide.
Mangrove Snapper with a Live greenback (belly-hooked) on #1 Daichii red circle hook knocker-rigged with 1/4 oz weight. 30# PowerPro | 30# fluorocarbon leader | ...
Details: Largemouth Bass with a Mepps Aglia #2 (brown/orange/black blade). BPS Crappie Maxx 5'6" UL spinning combo | 4# Berkeley Trilene
My usual bass spots weren't producing yesterday because most of the fish were busting a HUGE school of mullet fry in the cove where the mullet spawned recently. ...more I switched to a heavier spinner to get more distance, and this fish sucked it up a rod length from the yak on the first cast. Matching the color of the forage didn't seem to matter. Fast retrieve is always best in these situations.
Details: Bluegill Sunfish with a 1/16 oz Worden's Roostertail (yellow/silver blade). BPS Crappie Maxx 5'6" UL spinning combo | 4# Berkeley Trilene mono
After striking out on topwater and the usual open water bite for bass, I tried a seawall with submerged weeds that has produced some gills in the past. I caught ...more one of average size, then hooked what I thought was a bass. I was surprised to see this tank of a 9.5" come up! Beds were grouped in small clumps along the walls in 2-3 FOW. Clear, winds E @ 5 mph, air mid70s, water mid80s.
Details: Redbreast Sunfish with a Rapala Original Floating (Brown Trout). BPS Crappie Maxx 5'6" UL spinning combo | 4# Berkeley Trilene mono
Pic of the Horsepasture River sunfish. Beauty and aggression made up for its size. Not 100% sure on the ID, so if anyone has thoughts let me know! Overcast, air ...more temp mid-80s, water temp high 50s.
Details: Rock Bass with a Rapala Original Floating (Brown Trout). Bass Pro Shops Crappie Maxx spinning combo (5'6" UL) | 4# Berkeley Trilene
Caught a chub, smallie, hybrid sunfish and a couple rock bass above Turtleback Falls on the beautiful Hosepasture River. Nothing big, but the scenery was awesome, ...more and fishing was a nice break from my duties as a middle school camp leader. The fish were smashing this little Rap as I retrieved it downstream past a sloping rock ledge that went from 1-5 FOW. Overcast weather, 80s air, high 50s water.
My buddy caught this gorgeous flattie this morning at a pass jetty fishing close to the rocks. He also got a keeper mango, but we came up empty on the snook we were ...more after. The bait is finally getting up there in size and numbers. Besides snapper milling around the bait schools, we saw small redfish cruising but couldn't get them to bite. Low incoming tide, air 80s, w 85* & very clear, N@ 10 mph.
Gulf Flounder with a 3" whitebait (belly-hooked) freelined on 3/0 circle hook
Details: Fat Snook with a >2" pinfish on 1/4 oz knocker rig with 2/0 Daichii red circle hook. 30# Power Pro | Shimano Sedona 4000 | 7'6" Berkeley CobaltFire ...more MH | 30# fluoro leader
My dad caught this little snook on his first cast at a jetty on 6/22. We were anchored in 20 FOW throwing as close to the rocks as we could (4-10 FOW). Unfortunately ...more no lunkers showed up, but I brought in a keeper mango and a sea bass in the short time we were there. Action on the flats was slooooow although more bait is showing up. Air mid-80s, water 84*, SE @ 10-15, outgoing tide.
Jetties mean variety at this time of year. Here's my buddy holding a keeper red I caught on a high incoming tide. I casted parallel with the jetty right on top ...more of the rocks, tightened the line and was pleasantly surprised by that spotted blue tail. Blackened redfish on the menu! Lively whitebait, no matter how small, was the ticket today. Water 85*, air high 80s, W @ 5mph, clear skies.
Red (redfish) Drum with a 2" whitebait on a 2/0 Daichii circle hook knocker-rigged with a 1/8 oz. weight.
Details: Spotted (Speckled) Trout with a Zoom Salty Super Fluke (Black/Silver Flake) on 1/16 oz 3/0 Mission Fishin screw-in jerkbait hook. 30# Spiderwire InvisiBraid | 15# ...more fluorocarbon leader | 7'6"Berkeley Cobalt Fire MH | Okuma Epixor 45
My girlfriend's PB trout from last week at 20"! She lives in MN and loves the salt. I was so proud. Same technique as recent blerts--fast presentation over ...more grass in 3-4 FOW while drifting a large, protected flat. Wind E @ 20-25, air high 70s, water low 80s, high outgoing tide.
