April Inshore Report

Buka with a secret spot bass

I've had a few nice inshore fishing experiences this April. I'll start with Joe's Creek. My brother Buka discovered earlier this month that juvenile tarpon are stacked thick from the 71st Street bridge to the 54th Ave. bridge. Using a small gold jig and live shrimp I jumped four fish in the 2 - 3 foot range; all of which threw my hook. My brother Johnny did manage to land one at night using a live sand perch on the bottom. They should still be there for a bit. On high tide they spread out, but low tide they tend to hold in a hole where a side ditch runs into Joe's Creek just South of 54th Ave. Evenings seem to be the best time to get them to bite as they're pretty finicky.

Bass fishing has been crazy at a secret spot where I have been blessed with opportunity from the only person with access to the lake. I got my second invite to the lake last Friday evening and brought Buka along. We caught about 40 bass in a couple hours of fishing; all in the 2 - 8 pound range. The gators were a little hairy though. We had to bring a bucket of rocks to keep from getting eaten. Not a place I would bring my kids. I went through 2 packs of purple rubber worms and a pack of dark blue rubber lizards. Buka was using a spinner bait. I think a hot dog would work well in this lake; they were hitting everything!

I hit the flats of Boca Ciega Bay yesterday evening after work. It was a very low tide so I focused on sandy potholes in the grass flats that were holding a lot of trout. I caught a limit of keepers including a nice 23 incher.  After securing dinner in the cooler I left the trout to seek redfish with no success. Did have a couple hit and misses using a jig by Mirror Lure I've been stuck on called Lil' John. Gold seems to be the color for me right now, as it has been out fishing everything else I've been throwing. Low tide is a great time to get to know the flats better. The skinny water reveals the flat's secrets: deeper cuts and holes where fish hold up. Keeping some spots I found in mind, I'm looking forward to getting back after this weekend weather blows through.