Fish of the week
Sheepshead: With cooler water and an expected extreme cold front this weekend, Sheepshead will offer some of the best fishing for anglers in the Tampa Bay area.
strike zone, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Elsewhere
1: at Big Pier 60 in Clearwater, cooler water has slowed the fishing this week. Speckled trout, blackbird and corvins were the best catches. Sheephead and a few bonehead sharks were also caught, reports Big Pier 60 Bait & Tackle (727-462-6466).
2: On the beach of Madeira, Close to shore, the snapper and snapper bite is good starting in 30 feet. A few mangrove snappers are also in the mix. Anglers should note: The gag grouper season closes Dec. 31, reports Capt. Dylan Hubbard of the Hubbard Marine (727-393-1947).
3: In the footsteps of John, sheep bite all over the neck. Docks, bridge and jetty are producing good numbers. Jack crevalle is also hitting his stride this week. Speckled trout are biting around the bridge and dock lights. Redfish are following the mullet schools and biting around the back islands of the bay, Hubbard reports.
4: In Fort De Soto Park, This week has been mostly sheepshead around the marina and around the bridge. That’s not likely to change with the cool weather expected this weekend. A few trout and redfish have been caught in the flats around the park. At the dock, good numbers of sheepshead are biting around the pilings and some whiting have been caught, reports the Bait Bucket (727-864-2108).
5: Around the Sunshine Skyway and lower Tampa Bay, the fishing has been red hot or completely dead depending on where you are fishing. Sheepshead are the most consistent catch at the moment. The fish are definitely moving to their wintering grounds and the fish are usually grouped together. “I’ve still been doing very well with the grouse, the hen and the speckled trout. A few Spanish mackerel have also been mixed in with the trout. This weekend’s cold front will definitely affect the fishing. We’ll just have to wait and see how long this cold front keeps the water temperature down,” reports Capt. Shawn Crawford of Florida Sport Fishing Outfitters (941-705-3160.
6: To Anna Maria, Sheepshead will bite almost any structure in the area. All the bridges, most docks in the area and the rocks around Longboat Pass are producing consistent numbers of sheepshead on shrimp or crab, Crawford reports.
7: In Saint Petersburg, residential docks and canals are producing good numbers of sheepshead and a few redfish. Speckled trout are biting some of the deeper shallows. Snook have moved into the rivers and streams, but the cooler weather is making them very lethargic. Sheepshead are also biting on the bay bridges and reefs. Gag grouper and a few mangrove snapper are biting along the shipping channel and on the bay reefs, reports Larry Mastry at Mastry’s Tackle (727-896-8889).
8: At the northern end of Tampa Bay, Sheepshead are biting on structure, bridges, seawalls, rocks and oyster bars. The cooler weather is producing cobia around the powerhouse channels. Tripletail are also holding on to the bay markers. The deeper shallows are producing speckled trout and the fish will move shallow during the middle of the day if the sun is out. A few redfish are biting on the flats around Picnic and Weedon Islands. Whiting have been caught in the canals and around Gandy’s boat ramp. Snook have pushed into the rivers and canals, but are lethargic in the cold, reports Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551).
In another part
● In Homosassa and Crystal River, with the cooler weather, hot spots will be the three spring-fed rivers in Citrus County: the Crystal, Homosassa and Chassahowitzka rivers. These rivers maintain the constant 70 degree water flowing from the springs and the cold gulf water pushes the game fish into the rivers. Treed banks provide protection from northerly winds, and focusing on these areas with wind protection and deep water will be the areas where the best fishing will go, reports Capt. William Toney of Homosassa Inshore Fishing Charters (352-621-9284 ).
● In Fort Pierce, offshore, it’s still tough, but when the weather permits, there are mangroves and lamb snappers on the bottom around the 80-foot mark. There are still some kingfish biting around 50 feet. At the entrance, the sheep are thick and a few mangrove snappers are biting. Channel markers and bridges are also producing sheepshead. Snook are biting in the inlet and around bridges on live pinfish and hogfish on outgoing tides. Anglers should remember: Snook season is closed until January 31st. Pompano are biting in the river on Doc’s Goofy Jigs. The Melody Lane Pier is producing a few sand perch, reports the Fishing Center of St. Lucy (772-465-7637)