Adjusting for the Heat!

The fishing has been steady in North Pinellas County. Low midday tides are very warm, causing most fish to be lethargic, searching for a drop off or edge of the flat to avoid the hot water. Redfishing has been tougher this week. There are still plenty of snook around the beaches, but in late summer, spawning has occurred and the fish are not eating as often. The smaller male fish are more likely to eat while the females are concentrating on fertilizing and laying their eggs. Last week I had the pleasure to participate once again in a Kids Fish Camp. We fished for snook and redfish for a little while but eventually turned our focus to trout and mangrove snapper. We even fished around the bridge pilings catching grunts, snapper, flounder and a few other species running under the bridges. Sometimes you have to be prepared to change gears when the weather is an issue or the fish in your favorite spot just aren’t biting. Summer storms are very common in July so the ability to look at a radar on a smart phone is extremely convenient and very valuable when you need to see how close storms are to your location. It can definitely affect your game plan for the day. Whether to run south towards a jetty to snook fish, move north to work a trout flat, or to head back to the marina to allow a possible thunderstorm with lightning to pass before continuing.