Fishing Around The Heat Of the Summer!
Summer days are here and as we head into the heat of the summer, you can expect to see a few common things occur. Hot weather, 90-degree water temperature, afternoon thunderstorms, and high humidity are all signs telling you to start fishing deeper water areas. Most of your shallow flat areas are very hot and some have very little moving water so you end up with low oxygen levels. This low oxygen means that even if you do find fish in the shallows you will have a hard time keeping your bait alive for long. Having a well full of bait that you worked hard to catch die in 10 minutes is not how you want to start your day.
The answer to the problem is to move to deeper water areas. There are a few Snook along the beaches and passes, but with the horrible winter we have had, I try not to target Snook to allow the breeders to reproduce without additional stress. There are a few pods of redfish around, but again the shallows are just too hot. Snapper are very plentiful but you don’t see many fish bigger than 15 inches in the bay. In the past few years I have started targeting sharks in Tampa Bay and I can tell you there is nothing that I have ever caught that puts you and your tackle to a better test.
Most people think that you have to use steel leader and big heavy conventional reels to catch sharks. That is just not the case; my shark rigs consist of Daiwa 4000 medium spinning reels and a medium heavy action 15 to 45lb rod. You can use steel leader, but I prefer 80lb fluorocarbon. I may lose a few more fish, but I also hook a few more. As for hook size, I prefer the 7/0 Diiachi bleeding circle hook. Match this tackle with a double Uni-Knot for your line to leader and a Uni Knot on the hook and you are ready to fish.
Now that you have figured out what tackle you need for the job, you need to know what to use for bait. Sharks are easily attracted by scent, so using a fresh ladyfish, mackerel or Jack Crevelle works well.
Frozen bait will work as well, but I think fresh gives off more scent. The rest is easy, just fillet the meat off the bait and I like to throw the carcass in the water for a chum slick. Now just cut a meat chunk about the size of your hand and hook it anywhere.
I just throw it up tide and let it drift down with the bail still open until it hits the bottom. Then just wait until you feel something start to pull.
Tampa Bay is loaded with all species of sharks, so finding a good spot is not hard but it may take some time. A good place to start fishing is around the tower markers and artificial reefs in the bay. Most GPS units or charts show these places, so finding them should be a breeze. The best way to tell a good spot compared to a bad spot, is to just fish it. Like most inshore fish, the sharks like moving water, so when approaching your next spot, try looking for things they like. Two of these that come to mind are moving water and bait. Once you start putting all these simple tactics together, you will find yourself addicted to shark fishing. Captain Jason Prieto is a native resident of Tampa and has fished Tampa Bay and its surrounding waters for the past 20 years. He is owner and operator of Steady Action Fishing Charters, which is based out of lower Tampa Bay. To book a charter, you can reach him at 813-727-9890 or www.steadyactionfishingcharters.com. If you would like to catch him on the radio tune into Outdoor Fishing Adventures Saturday mornings from 8AM to 10AM on 1040 sports talk radio. Tight lines!!
Summer days are here and as we head into the heat of the summer, you can expect to see a few common things occur. Hot weather, 90-degree water temperature, afternoon thunderstorms, and high humidity are all signs telling you to start fishing deeper water areas. Most of your shallow flat areas are very hot and some have very little moving water so you end up with low oxygen levels. This low oxygen means that even if you do find fish in the shallows you will have a hard time keeping your bait alive for long. Having a well full of bait that you worked hard to catch die in 10 minutes is not how you want to start your day.
The answer to the problem is to move to deeper water areas. There are a few Snook along the beaches and passes, but with the horrible winter we have had, I try not to target Snook to allow the breeders to reproduce without additional stress. There are a few pods of redfish around, but again the shallows are just too hot. Snapper are very plentiful but you don’t see many fish bigger than 15 inches in the bay. In the past few years I have started targeting sharks in Tampa Bay and I can tell you there is nothing that I have ever caught that puts you and your tackle to a better test.
Most people think that you have to use steel leader and big heavy conventional reels to catch sharks. That is just not the case; my shark rigs consist of Daiwa 4000 medium spinning reels and a medium heavy action 15 to 45lb rod. You can use steel leader, but I prefer 80lb fluorocarbon. I may lose a few more fish, but I also hook a few more. As for hook size, I prefer the 7/0 Diiachi bleeding circle hook. Match this tackle with a double Uni-Knot for your line to leader and a Uni Knot on the hook and you are ready to fish.
Now that you have figured out what tackle you need for the job, you need to know what to use for bait. Sharks are easily attracted by scent, so using a fresh ladyfish, mackerel or Jack Crevelle works well.
Frozen bait will work as well, but I think fresh gives off more scent. The rest is easy, just fillet the meat off the bait and I like to throw the carcass in the water for a chum slick. Now just cut a meat chunk about the size of your hand and hook it anywhere.
I just throw it up tide and let it drift down with the bail still open until it hits the bottom. Then just wait until you feel something start to pull.
Tampa Bay is loaded with all species of sharks, so finding a good spot is not hard but it may take some time. A good place to start fishing is around the tower markers and artificial reefs in the bay. Most GPS units or charts show these places, so finding them should be a breeze. The best way to tell a good spot compared to a bad spot, is to just fish it. Like most inshore fish, the sharks like moving water, so when approaching your next spot, try looking for things they like. Two of these that come to mind are moving water and bait. Once you start putting all these simple tactics together, you will find yourself addicted to shark fishing. Captain Jason Prieto is a native resident of Tampa and has fished Tampa Bay and its surrounding waters for the past 20 years. He is owner and operator of Steady Action Fishing Charters, which is based out of lower Tampa Bay. To book a charter, you can reach him at 813-727-9890 or www.steadyactionfishingcharters.com. If you would like to catch him on the radio tune into Outdoor Fishing Adventures Saturday mornings from 8AM to 10AM on 1040 sports talk radio. Tight lines!!
