Fishing Florida Flats

Book Your Trip Scalloping season will soon open in Pasco County for the first time in many years. This year, the season will run from July 20 th – 29 th , 2018. The daily bag limit consists of 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or 1 pint of bay scallop meat per person. There is a maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or 1/2-gallon bay scallop meat per vessel. Before you head out to look for these delicious delicates, you need to know where to find them, what they look like, and what you will need. Bay scallops live in shallow waters, generally between 4 – 9 feet of water. Normally you will find them nestled in the grass flats. Scallop shells are approximately 3 inches in width and the shell colors can be a sand color to a darker brown, which helps blend in with the gulf floor, a green tint which help them blend with the grass flats, to the lucky orange color. Scallops can also be identified by their blue eyes, that can be seen when the shells a...

Fishing Report 4/10/18 - 4/18/2018 Cobia are here!   We have been doing a great deal of Cobia fishing within the last week.   It felt like within a day they all came back!   Last week we went out and didn’t see any. This week we caught 7 in two hours.   One was 33 inches long. The bait has been hard to find, but there is plenty just south of Tarpon.   I think that will change soon and they will be showing up further north within the next few days.   Snook and Reds are around, but Reds are biting better on live bait.   Seatrout are now in, you can find them on the open flats.   They seem to be still hooked on eating shrimp more so than Greenbacks.   We have also landed a few flounder.   We were not targeting them, but while drift fishing and bouncing a jig off the sand pockets we’ve been hitting them.   Mangrove snappers have been in 10 feet of water over rocks and in the backwaters.   They seem to like just shrimp. ...

Fishing Report Week Of April 5 th , 2018 Fishing is back, water temperature is up, bait is everywhere life is back to normal. The fishing has been hit or miss for a while, but I think the ups & downs are over and we are going into the best months of fishing. The Red fishing and Snook are eating again, and they came out of the back waters. Seatrout are on the open flats in about 6 feet of water over grass. Mangrove snapper over rock plies with nice size Sheepsheads and we are starting to see a lot of Spanish Mackerel in the same spots. Cobia seem to be starting also they are still offshore about 8 miles out but have not seen any good size ones yet at least in Pasco county. The one thing I would say, fishing has been better in an outgoing tide and does shut off during the slack tide (No moving water between High & Low Tides). Catching bait is better at first light as the day goes on bait is harder to find.   Conclusion fishing has been good so go have fun and be safe....