Cool Weather Coming in!

A pattern of high winds out the northeast has kept most anglers inshore this week. That trend continues through the weekend, although decreasing a bit. Prior to the wind, mackerel fishing had exploded on the nearby reefs and hard bottoms just a couple of miles offshore. Reports of kingfish biting in close were common too. Scores of bait schools have been getting pounded by pelicans, making the bait easy to get a cast net on. Occasionally the bait has been scarce, requiring a lot of driving the shorelines, eventually finding it with a bottom machine or diving birds. Winds lay down in the early morning hours allowing a short window to approach the nearshore fishing. Chumming for few minutes will bring the fish to you. Longshank hooks are a must to prevent break offs. Be ready to head in as soon as the winds pick up. The snook are still inhabiting the inside cuts along the passes, yet several small snook are foraging along the eastern mainshore in north Pinellas county. They are chasing the smaller sardines and glass minnows that have made their way onto the protection of the shallower flats. Redfish are being caught around the rocky structures and also the cuts near the beaches as well. Cut baits laid on the bottom will attract these bottom feeders. Small baits pinned to the bottom around the rocks will also get mangrove snapper, sheepshead and trout in the area.