Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with snook and tarpon on DOA Lures and live crabs in backcountry areas of Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor recently. A persistent west wind for most of the week made the coastal gulf too uncomfortable to fish, so we fished more protected areas.
Good Times Tarpon fishing in Charlotte Harbor. CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW
Cliff Ondercin, from Sarasota and his dad, Dennis Ondercin, from OH, fished several days with me during the past week. We fished backcountry areas in Tampa Bay and they had good action catching and releasing numerous snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms and DOA PT-7 topwater baits.
We fished another day in the backcountry of Charlotte Harbor and they had good action jumping 3 tarpon and landing 2 of them on a DOA Baitbuster and live crabs. Tarpon fishing is very dependent on conditions and we were fortunate to have great conditions for tarpon that day.
Look for tarpon in the coastal gulf. If conditions are poor in the Gulf, you may find them in protected inside waters where fishing mangrove shorelines for catch and release reds and snook may also be a good option. Night fishing for snook and more is a dependable option and a good way to beat the heat.
Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!
Rick is the owner of Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. He's a full time fishing guide and outdoor writer based in Sarasota, FL. He’s been guiding since 1990 and is an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing guide here at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, the 2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year.
