Yup. I fish in Tampa Bay mostly. You boat might be a big big to get where I go but I would be glad to give you some pointers. My BEST advice to you is to get the book Secret Spots by Frank Sargent. Dont pass go... Dont collect 200... GET the book!
Drop me a note and I will see what I can do to help.
i'll check out that book.
I do also have a fishing yak, which would be great for flats once i figure out the takle/rig setups
the 1720 isn't a flats only boat, but draft isn't to bad
Is that tampa bay that you fish in mostly?
I need to find a good teacher, I can only figure out so much about fishing by myself...
I got a 1720 keywest that begs to be used for more then a cruise up the ICW or to the sand bars..Give me holler some time. I can show you a few spots in Lemon Bay, and Stump Pass, on the flats, etc. Been fishing that area for years, my dad lives on Gottfried Creek. If you need to know how to rig up for certain things I'll be happy to show you.
sounds like a plan, the "flats" part is something i know i'm lacking knowledge of how to and rigging.
I've tried artificials, but no good responses. and the live shrimp on a weighted float was only thing ive ever had any luck with on a few small reds and sea trout.
Jigs tipped with some shrimp, gold spoons, Yo-Zuri or Rapala minnows, even some topwater lures like a zara spook can be effective on the flats. Time of day, tide, wind, temperature all affect the choice. Live shrimp under a popping cork is hard to beat, but how you rig can make a difference. Fishing it anywhere the flats drop off into a channel or across a bare spot in the grass is usually productive if the fish are feeding.The first 2 or 3 hours of an outgoing tide, especially if it coincides with the morning hours just after sunrise, are usually the best.
For snapper, there's several spots around the bridge, some of the mangrove islands south of the bridge and west of the intracoastal, and in Stump Pass. Oyster bars are good for reds, using jigs or other artificials.
You can either decide to fish a certain species and let that determine when you go and what you use, or if you just go when you can go, you let conditions guide you on what to target. Thing is, you never know for sure what might hit. I caught a 23" gag grouper free-lining a pinfish for snook, and I've caught spanish, pompano, snook, reds, and snapper drifting the flats for trout.
Lot of great fishing in the bays and around the mangroves!
i'll check out that book.
I do also have a fishing yak, which would be great for flats once i figure out the takle/rig setups
the 1720 isn't a flats only boat, but draft isn't to bad
There are 2 versions. One for the Tampa area and one for the Sarasota and south. BOTH are well worth it.
I fish mainly the flats. The key is the stage of the tide and the water movement. That dictates where you fish and with what. For instance... If the flats are too shallow for a mirrodine or a jig, try a gold spoon or a top water. The nice part about arties is that you are not limited. Shrimp on a cork is good for some situations but not all. In addition, you will CONSTANTLY be fighting pins. Gulp on a cork is a much better option. You will spend more time on the "hunt" and less time changing bait. The gulp will give you some extra umph...
The easiest structure to find is a channel entrance or exit from the bay. The next easiest is bridges and their pilings. Where there is structure and current flow, there are fish.
