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Little Happening In South Shore Waters Until Temps Rise

Photo by FRED EVERSON

Mike Strickland puts the rod to a feisty bonnethead off Simmons Park.

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By FRED EVERSON

Tribune Correspondent

Published: March 4, 2009

Water temperature continues to hover around the low 60s, and that means slow fishing on the flats around South Shore. Snook are practically dormant when it gets that cold, and even when they do eat there isn't much fight in them. Snook season reopened March 1 but thus far, there has not been much to shout about.

Capt. Danny Guarino reported catching a single 29-inch snook in the Little Manatee River last week and also a few trout in the Cockroach Bay entrance channel. He said he spoke with Capt. Mark Noe, who reported he caught a few silver trout, some mangrove snapper and sheepshead fishing around the power plant in Apollo Beach.

Capt. Guarino said there was no bait to be had on the flats as yet. That should change as soon as the water temperature rises a bit. Scaled sardines usually appear in the Bahia Beach Basin by now, but it has been so cold for the past few weeks that everything is behind schedule.

Grouper season remains closed through the month of March. When the season reopens, be sure to have the required equipment. Anyone who bottom fishes needs to have circle hooks, a venting tool and a de-hooker to meet the legal requirements.

Sheepshead continue to be a best bet in the Little Manatee River. I have seen several schools of big sheepshead come in with the rising tide under the docks on the north shore of the river. Shrimp and fiddler crabs are prime sheepshead baits.

I haven't seen a cobia in weeks, but I expect them to show up on the flats as soon as the water temperature hits 70 degrees. That's also the magic number for snook and scaled sardines. When sardines show up on the flats, the snook are usually there to meet them.

Cobia like to cruise the flats in late winter and early spring in the company of eagle rays. That's a good thing, because rays are much easier to see than the cobia. A calm day with blue skies and clear water is the ideal for hunting cobia, which these days are rare enough in March. I keep a close eye on the wind forecast, and I'm ready to go whenever it's calm. I carry an extra-heavy spinning rod rigged with a plastic eel for cobia. I also tie-in three feet of 40-pound leader between my line and the half-ounce jig head. Cobia are not real energetic about chasing down a bait, so you have to put the lure in its face if you want a strike.

Still no sign of jacks in the Little Manatee River so far. I suppose they're waiting for a rise in water temperature, just like everybody else.

Fred Everson is a Ruskin fishing guide. All South Shore fishermen and guides may submit information and photographs to be included in this column by calling (813) 830-8890 or sending an e-mail to ihuntsnook@aol.com.

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