The Pasco scalloping runs from July 10 to Aug. 18 this year and everyone should be aware of what that means and the safety precautions that are advised. Hundreds of snorkelers will be on the grass flats up and down the coast during the period, increasing the chances of accidents. Dive flags are required to warn boaters that they must run only at idle speed within 300 feet of a flag. Divers need to do their part, as well, staying within 300 feet of their flags and keeping an eye out for nearby boats.
Anglers may want to opt for fishing in areas away from the concentrations of scallopers during the season rather than trying to share space with them, which is not only a safety precaution but also in their best interest if catching fish is the aim, as all the divers in the water, and increased activity, is a turn off to most species.
Guide bites
Capt. Josh Fritz (352) 345-9304: Capt. Josh has been having his way with the redfish, with fish running in schools and working rocky shorelines, hard bottom points and oyster bars. He’s been doing best using pinfish or cut bait around the middle of the incoming tides. There still are a few decent-size trout around rocks and shallow grass, but most of them have moved out to the deeper grass flats in 8 feet of water and deeper. Work jigs with soft plastic tails slowly down near the grass to take them. Offshore, mangrove snapper fishing is pretty good on rocks in around 30 feet of water. Live shrimp or small pieces of cut bait, long, light mono or fluorocarbon leaders and 1/0 hooks are the ticket. Scalloping in Pasco waters opens July 10 and will run through Aug. 18 this year. Capt. Josh is booking trips now and expects to see a good harvest based on preliminary scouting. Per usual, the first few days of the opening see some of the best numbers of the shellfish, as the popularity of hunting for them can put a lot of pressure on them.
Capt. Cody Albright (727) 992-3918: Capt. Cody reports that the heat and very hot Gulf water has presented a bit of a challenge fishing along the Pasco coast. He’s found the best action with redfish. They’ve been on oyster bars near mangroves because some days the water has reached as high as 95 degrees and the reds are “low-energy feeders.” That’s made cut pinfish the best bait choice, as the reds don’t need to expend any of their strength to catch a live bait. Live sardines are around on the shallow grass flats in the mornings, and he’s been using them around pockets of good, flowing water in backwaters that has resulted in a few nice blowups from big snook. He said it looks like a few of the big female snook that have been on the island beaches may have finished spawning early this season, moving back into inshore areas. One thing anglers can count on right now is sharks. They seem to be everywhere on the flats and there have been some monsters. He’s come across bull sharks up to 10 feet long. Lots of nurse sharks are around, as well. Capt. Cody is gearing up for scalloping starting with the opening day July 10. He’s hoping for some more rain before then, as it could mean more of the shellfish and better hauls for snorkelers.
Tackle shop roundup
The Rusty Bucket (727) 645-6598: Capt. Bill says water temperatures are high and that’s slowed the fishing action quite a bit. The reds and snook he’s finding are lethargic due to the heat. They still have to eat, and while they can be inactive for 22 hours of the day, they might turn on and feed ferociously for the other 2 hours. Being there when that happens is the key and requires a lot of patience. The snook are on the beaches, From the sand at Durney Key off the mouth of the Cotee River, south to the beach at Anclote Key. Fishing for them at night has been considerably more productive, a pattern that is likely to hold for the remainder of summer. The redfish action has been best on the outgoing tides on the shallow flats along the Pasco coast. The warm water means fresh cut bait will produce best. If the water is moving, they’ll bite. When it stops, so does the bite. Tarpon fishing remains good, with passes and the west side of Anclote Key and beaches all the way to Clearwater producing some big fish. Live pinfish, grunts and crabs fished under a float have been the baits of choice.
Tarpon Trading Company (727) 937-1488): Guy reports a customer slammed the trout fishing grass bottom in 8 to 10 feet of water in the Gulf out of the Anclote River. Problem was that most all were undersized fish, though he did land a few keepers. Live shrimp and artificial were used. Guy says anglers may want to work the deeper grass at this time of year, where trout generally prefer the cooler temperatures. Grass behind Caladesi and Honeymoon islands is a favorite place to find them at this time of year. For redfish, the best news has come from the mangroves on the back side of Anclote Key and Dutchman Key. The beach at the island continue to hold snook, where they will spend the rest of summer spawning. He didn’t get any reports of tarpon there over the past week but suspects it’s a good bet that there are some pods of fish still working off the points at the north and south ends. Not a lot of word has come from offshore. Guy got out to bag a load of grunts, doing well, or at least as well as can be expected in the very warm water, fishing rocky bottom with squid in 30 to 35 feet of water. He likes to use squid as the bait is hard to get off the hook and a single piece of squid can account for several grunts.
Armed Angler (727) 945-1808: Will says he got out for some fishing and got into good number of trout, fishing grass bottom with sand holes in 6 to 10 feet of water around Three Rooker Bar. Most of the fish were running between 13 and 16 inches, with the largest measuring 18 inches. He did some scouting along the beach at Anclote Key. The snook are there, though locating and snagging them has been tough on days where the water is stirred up. Large live baits take the big ones. For redfish, anglers have been doing best working oyster bars north and south of the Anclote River. Will has noticed good numbers of sheepshead also on the bars. He hasn’t tried for them, but suspects using live shrimp or fiddler crabs instead of the cut bait used for reds will take them. Anglers have connected with a few snook around docks in the Anclote River and around area creek mouths up and down the coast, though they are small males for the most part. Offshore has been best with red snapper fishing between 140 and 220 feet of water. They’ve been fishing between 60 and 90 feet of water around breaks and rocks on the way back in and loading up with mangrove snapper.