Mild Weather Holds!

Although the weather has been a bit mild, things are going to change on the water over the next couple of days. Sardines have been easy to net with warm temperatures, however, the higher winds with this weekends cold front will surely drive them away. Live shrimp from the local bait store or artificial lures will be the best bet for catching fish until the temps level out again. Lately, kingfishing in north Pinellas has been fantastic, as well as the spanish mackerel and mangrove snapper bite, however the next couple of days I will be focusing on backcountry bays, protected from the winds and cold. The darker bottoms often heat quicker than the open flats, encouraging the fish to eat. Fishing later in the day is also productive, giving the sun some time to heat the water. Oyster bars will be holding sheepshead, snook and especially redfish. Slowly worked artificial shrimp bounced along the edges will get attacked by most species looking for a meal. If you locate live bait to net or have live shrimp, try cutting a small piece, then casting around and the mangroves. Sluggish fish will smell for the offering and eat at their leisure. As the day heats up, the fish tend to respond better. Cold fronts typical this time of the season tend to push more trout into St. Joseph Sound. Expect the trout bite to improve as well as numbers of trout to increase over the next few days.