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Captain's Corner: Fishing strong in Fort De Soto area

 
Published Sept. 15, 2018

Red Tide started showing up substantially on Saturday in Pinellas with the strong west wind we had. I lost some bait but was still able to fish. Snook are taking their time transitioning back into the bay from the beaches. Every shoreline and pass are still loaded with nice snook. The key to catching them is to match the hatch with the bait. While the smaller bait is harder to cast, it has produced the best results. The trout bite continues to be hot. They're a mixed bag with size but make for great entertainment when you have kids onboard. Free-lining a scaled sardine or putting it under a popping cork has been productive. Look for grass flats in about 4 to 7 feet with good moving water. Mangrove snapper continue to be a good target. They're all over the bridges and are great table fare. The best results have come using a Carolina rig with just enough weight to get it to the bottom. I like to use just enough bait to get it to the bottom. The grass flats are covered with perfect-sized snapper bait. Shrimp work just as well.

Mike Gore charters out of Tampa Bay. Call him at (813) 390-6600 or visit tampacharters.com.