Red Zone Posted April 5, 2018 Report Share Posted April 5, 2018 The family and I are heading to New Port Richie area for a week April 8th thru the 14th. I am bringing the boat never fished the area before can anyone give me any help/tips? Areas to fish, tides, species (reds, snook, tarpon, trout). Bringing the 23 HPS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
szarman Posted April 6, 2018 Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 I'm sure there are a lot of people that can help you a lot more than me, but I'll give it a shot. If you go into the south gulf harbors canal about to the first or second residential canal and head south outside the channel onto the flat in 3-4ft you should be able to chum up whitebait. Look for a couple boats chumming in the morning to key you in on the area. I have found it is hit or miss there. If you don't find any there, you can go out to Anclote Key north end around the tiki hut for them, or south anclote by the half sunken sail boat near light house ( you probably can't miss it). If not there, then just off the swim buoys at howard park. Right now whitebait seems to be the ticket. If you fish the rock piles and islands in the entrance to the south and north gulf harbors canals you should be able to get some snook/reds. Drift the flats in sand bay just south of gulf harbors for some trout. Keep an eye open for cobia sitting in potholes around the power plant. There have been some out there the past week, or two, when the weather is right for seeing them. The triple tail are around the crab trap buoys. I would say 1 out of 100 buoys so its not like they are everywhere, but if you are going for a cruise be sure to check the traps on the way. Some redfish have started to move into the mangroves behind Anclote key. I generally cut up pinfish/greenbacks and soak them until I start seeing larger schools then I'll use live bait. Hopefully, I find a couple bigger schools today when I check it out, but redfish have been scarce for this time of year, in my opinion. If the weather cooperates you could head out to 20-30ft of water to find hard bottom, to pasco artificial reefs, or until you start seeing the bait schools. You should have no problem chumming with some greenbacks around the schools and catching kings. I don't have much experience fishing north of Gulf Harbors, but hope that gets you started. Be sure to let us know how you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Zone Posted April 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 Thank you for the help. I am looking forward to a great week. If you are on the water next week and you happen to see a blue 23 HPS with a powder coated T Top please say hi. I will keep you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linesider 159 Posted April 13, 2018 Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 Szarman gave you great info. Watch out for the rock piles on the south and north gulf harbor channels. I generally cross the south channel right at the no wake signs. Cobia are there but spotty. I went today and got one and I had great conditions. Once you get north of gulf harbors be careful running close to shore, there are some rocks that will knock the lower unit off. This is more accurate once you get closer to the stilt homes. Just north of gulf harbors you will see the giant cove with a couple smaller coves, that area has been holding reds on medium - high tide. Once you get towards Hudson you have to run extremely shallow to get into back creeks. Fillmans bayou is a good area where you don't have to run super shallow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linesider 159 Posted April 13, 2018 Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 Also, if you saw a black 22 foot catamaran with a big tower on the front deck, I was looking for cobia today, so that would give you a general area to start looking for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pondfisher Posted April 19, 2018 Report Share Posted April 19, 2018 Cobia found! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linesider 159 Posted April 20, 2018 Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 22 hours ago, pondfisher said: Cobia found! Nice! I was out there today and ran into troy. He gave me a little scare when he pulled up and asked for my license and registration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Troy Posted April 20, 2018 Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 11 hours ago, linesider 159 said: Nice! I was out there today and ran into troy. He gave me a little scare when he pulled up and asked for my license and registration Weren't expecting me in the tower boat. We never did catch a cobia. Saw 2 one decent one right after I saw you. 2 perfect casts but no interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linesider 159 Posted April 20, 2018 Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 3 hours ago, Capt. Troy said: Weren't expecting me in the tower boat. We never did catch a cobia. Saw 2 one decent one right after I saw you. 2 perfect casts but no interest. I picked up 1 more when you saw me up shallower so ended 3 for 4. Biggest one I landed was 20 inches though. Really really tiny cobia on the backs of the rays. If the weather cooperates Ill give it another shot next thursday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Troy Posted April 20, 2018 Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 I think the cold nights and low water temps shut it down. Not many rays at all on any of the flats. The one cobia we saw would have been a netter. Very close to legal. I was already thinking about how I was gonna cook him. Probably why he didn't bite. There were quite a few around before this last front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pondfisher Posted April 22, 2018 Report Share Posted April 22, 2018 This was south shore in the bay on a shallow sand flat. Lots of big rays but only one fish. My buddy threw a DOA Terror Eyez at him and he inhaled it immediately! 34.5" at fork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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