Sunday afternoon we lucked out with abundant sunshine and light winds. Wanting to take advantage of the warmth we did not start until almost noon. It was fun running on smooth waters compared to the choppy waters Tampa Bay has dished out for the last month. The 10 day forecast more shows not one day at the seasonal average of 71 degrees. No secret to today’s plans, spotted sea trout was the target as it’s the main stay in lower Tampa Bay. I’ve been targeting grass flats and canals in the Ft. Desoto, Tierra Verde region. Tossing live shrimp on a popping cork worked great on the grass flats. While we did not capture any large trout we made up for it in quantity. When the bite slowed I would move us to the next sandy pothole and start the process again. We hit my top secret hole for the last 45 minutes and enjoyed nonstop trout and ladyfish action. We took these fish on 4” DOA CAL jerk baits. Any color worked as long as it was sliver glitter! We hooked 2 larger fish that we never got a look at as they both came unbuttoned after several runs. Judging by the rod action I am sure they were both redfish. Good news Spring along with warmer water temperatures are just around the corner. Captain Steven
