Matt Riesz set a record on my boat with 50 trout on the fly rod. He also
achieved his Inshore Slam on this fishing trip with a large Snook and Redfish.
My good friend, Mike Stein, with a medium size Tarpon which he caught
under the Skyway Bridge. Mike and our friend, Chick, target Tarpon every year when they visit Florida.
April 6th. 2010 - Miss Brooklyn with her first Florida Redfish.
She was using cut Pinfish for bait, fishing in less than two feet of water.
May 14th. 2009 report - Art landed this nice Snook at the edge of a large
thunder storm. The Snook was near an oyster bar just after high tide.
April 19th. 2008 report - We had an outstanding day fishing on April
19th. It started by hooking a nice 33" Snook using a large Threadfin for bait. This big guy was caught near downtown
Clearwater. A total of seventy-five Redfish were caught between the three anglers that afternoon. What a great
day fishing.
March 27, 2008 report - John Hynes had a great day fishing out of Clearwater.
This is one of twenty-five Redfish, ranging from 24"-33", caught on March 27th. We were fishing near the mangrove
islands in only three feet of water, when a large school of Redfish swam by. It was one fish after the other for
the next two hours.
June 2009 - The Sharks are here. This Blacktip Shark was biting
on the rope for several minutes.
May 13th. 2009 INSHORE - This large Redfish was caught
with Scaled Sardines or Pilchards. We were fishing near the mangroves and a small oyster bar in Clearwater.
Snook, Redfish and Sea Trout were caught from this one spot.
 INSHORE REPORT for May: May is one of the best months to fish in Florida. We are catching Tarpon, Snook,
Trout, Cobia, and Mackerel on our inshore charters. Offshore charters have been very productive also with Grouper, Bonito,
Tuna, and Snapper.
Tarpon is the fish of the month. The Tarpon trips start very early. Getting on the water and ready to go
at sunrise is very important. Look for rollers coming up the beach with a silent intercept using a trolling motor.
Live bait cast to the approaching fish with heavy spinning gear is one method. Plug casting and fly rods are other good
options.
The Snook, Reds, and Trout are eating live sardines throughout the day. Bait is plentiful in the bay and easily
cast netted after chumming the area. The out going tide in the afternoon will concentrate the fish in the troughs and
pot holes.
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| Dunedin Redfish |
Clearwater Beach Snook on the fly rod.
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| Small Snook on Epoxy Fly |
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Art Korp with a large 37in. beach Snook. Of the five days Art fished
with me he had four Inshore Slams.
Chick's 70lb. Tarpon which he fought and caught in May in Tampa
Bay waters.
March 10th. 2010 - Autumn's brother Steve landed this 35lb. Black Drum
from the flats off Dunedin. We were fishing for Spotted Sea Trout, around the spoil Islands, when a large school of Drum swam
by.
May 12, 2008 report - Art Korp holds a medium size Snook he just caught
using a large Threadfin for bait. Art fishes with me every year and is one of the best fisherman I have ever seen.
We ended the day with 35 Spotted Sea Trout up to 24 inches.
May 18, 2008 report - John had a great day fishing the outer Islands
just north of Clearwater. This is one of twenty-four caught that morning using live Sardines for bait.
April 25, 2008 report - Tom had a good fight with this 25lb. Black Drum.
It was one of the smaller ones in a school of about eighty fish. We then headed off the beaches of Sand Key for a few
Spanish Mackerel.
JANUARY INSHORE - Spotted Sea Trout season is now open south of Tarpon
Springs. We are catching several trout on our inshore fishing trips that range in size from 12 - 28 inches. The
majority of trout are caught using artificial jig heads weighing 1/8oz. Tip the jigs with Mister Twister Darts or Berkley
Gulp Shrimp for best results. Large Redfish also roam the flats this time of year, like the 8lb. one pictured below.
This Red was feeding near the residential docks in Clearwater Bay. Pompanos are taking small shrimp flies near the spoil
islands of Dunedin.
 AUGUST INSHORE: Redfish will begin to school in large numbers on the flats of Tampa Bay and Pinellas County.
I look for wakes pushing across the flats and patches of nervous water. A color change of darker gold moving your way
will reveal their presence. The best time to find redfish is when the water is low and calm. Early morning with
an incoming tide is also a prime time. As the tide gets higher and the wind makes a chop on the water it is hard to
spot them. I prefer to fish the outboard motor exclusion areas. You need to be as quiet as possible when
stalking redfish on the flats. A trolling motor or better yet a push pole is the only way to position your boat. Try
to get out in front of the moving school of redfish after you determine their direction.
We will use 8-9wt. rods with WF9F line. Rio Products's QuickShooter fly line with a weight forward floating
design is ideal for redfish on the Florida flats.
August and September will provide many opportunities to try your fly fishing skill against a west coast Florida redfish.
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| Clearwater Bay Spotted Trout |
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| October Redfish near Clearwater |
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