The warm weather has given saltwater anglers plenty of opportunities. Sea trout are still in the bay, hanging close to shore in shallow water. One angler caught and released more than 70 small trout fishing east of the Lighthouse. He used live shrimp and drifted in about 3-foot depths. Reports continue of big schools of redfish in Oyster Bay. One recommended approach it to troll from oyster bar to oyster bar until you find fish. One fishing party caught 40 reds along with a couple of big trout that way. Another pair of anglers discovered a school of redfish around oyster bars at Wakulla Beach. Reds also can be found around oyster bars in the St. Marks River all the way up to the Old Fort and in the small creeks leading off the river. Fish the creeks along the coast and the river during rising tide. Mangrove snapper have moved into the river channel near the fort but are running mostly undersized. Grouper are still being caught in 20-foot depths over hard bottom. Trolling Manns Stretch 25s is a good way to locate fish, or try LYs, squid or Spanish sardines on the bottom.
Apalachicola Bay
Approaching windy weather may interfere some with the fishing this weekend, but the last few days have seen some excellent reports of sea trout and redfish. Most of the action has been around the three dry bars, Cat Point, St. Vincent and East Hole, which is near the foot of the bridge at the St. George Island end. The fishing pier on the Eastpoint side consistently has produced quality fish, including large sheepshead and flounder along with a few oversized redfish. Boaters fishing in deep water off the ends of the old causeway have been catching plenty of white trout and whiting. Schools of mullet have been moving in and out of Bob Sikes Cut and along the beaches in preperation for a spawning run into the gulf.
Lanark Village/Carrabelle
The hottest thing going are redfish along the shoreline and docks of Lanark Village. Throw live shrimp, gold spoons or chunks of mullet ant try to fish when there's a moving tide. Trout are still being caught over the shallow grass beds and there are still a few Spanish mackerel around. There also are plenty of large mackerel and bluefish on Dog Island Reef. Grouper anglers fishing in nearshore waters have been finding a lot of "shorts", while those heading out to 55-foot depths or more are having better luck. Although the offshore waters still are warm enough, only a few kingfish have been reported.
St. Joe Bay
Bluefish and Spanish mackerel have been providing the most action in St. Joe Bay. Schools af both species are likely to pop up about anywhere. Most of the sea trout have been running small. Bigger trout and a few redfish have begun showing up near the mouth of the Intracoastal Canal. The upcoming cold snap could push both species into the canal in larger numbers in the next few days.
