***Correction on title: Southshore Wading - Tampa Bay - Wednesday 1/9/12
Had the morning off and had been looking forward to the low tides this week. Didn't really have any potholes in mind, instead I wanted to try a small cut. The plan was to head out and just have some fun with arti's and see what I can get (that is always the plan).
Was on the water at 6:17. The tide appeared to be dead low, just as planned. Pretty good breeze going. It was still pitch black at that point, but with my headlight I could see the tide was lower than I've ever noticed at this spot. Started out working a spook in the deeper water at various retrieves. I usually start out slow then increase the speed as I lose patience. Worked the spook for a while with no results. Made it out to a point along the small cut and began fancasting. Nothing. Started to notice some boils at the top - fish feeding on a school of small minnows, but had no interest in the spook. After finally getting through my thick head that is was time to change lures I put on a Mirrodine that I rec'd as a an Xmas gift. At this point it was just to try something new as I had zero confidence in fishing a Mirrodine. Made a few casts and fish on, ladyfish on. Bummer, but I'll take it. The ladyfish had some teethmarks in her side (not from oyster bah). What do you think it was? Trout?
After another 30 minutes of nothing but ladyfish I accepted the fact that it is time to relocate.
Switch to a new spot that I have been wanting to fish for a while on the opposite side of the bay and switched back to a topwater, this time a rapala skitter walk I think it's called. Not happening. Change to a 1/8 oz jig and went through a variety of soft plastics and eventually got a small flounder on a gulp shrimp.
That lifted my spirits and things seem to get better from there. I only had another 45 minutes to fish and ended up finding some healthy looking grass and switching to a Mirrodine. Caught a medium size trout,
then a puffer, then a pinfish and then a decent gator (for west coast standards).
I don't work Thursday so I will be out all day and report again tomorrow/Friday.
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Originally Posted by barrynfla
