Spring hogfish nearshore north Pinellas

The beginning of June fishing has been off to a great start. Larger gag grouper and red grouper have moved closer to the barrier keys and into shallower water to take advantage of the annual arrival of pilchard bait schools. This seasonal migration occurs every late spring and typically continues until water temperatures rise later in the summer. Anglers looking to target these hard-fighting fish have their best opportunity by fishing productive hard-bottom areas with fresh-cut pilchards and large shrimp rigged on a knocker rig. Several quality fish have been landed over the past week, including grouper in the 8-pound range, while a few even larger fish have managed to break anglers off before reaching the boat. The average size has been around 5 pounds. Remember that gag grouper remain catch-and-release only until the season reopens in September. Large mangrove snapper have also moved onto the shallower reefs and have been feeding well during periods of slack tide. Success often comes down to using plenty of fresh chum and downsizing tackle until bites begin. Mangrove snapper possess excellent eyesight and do much of their feeding during low-light conditions and at night, making them one of the more challenging species to fool consistently. Despite the challenge, they are a rewarding catch for both anglers and spearfishing divers. The average mangrove snapper has been around 3 pounds, with an exceptionally large 7-pound fish landed this past Saturday. If current conditions continue, the nearshore reef bite should remain productive throughout the month.

Tarpon Springs fishing has been excellent this May, with warm Gulf water temperatures and strong bait activity creating ideal nearshore conditions. Red grouper fishing has been very productive on hard bottom and ledges in 20-35 feet of water, while gag grouper are showing up in better numbers closer inshore around heavy structure. Live whitebait, shrimp and cut bait have all been producing well, especially during lighter current conditions and calm morning weather windows. Hogfish action continues to be a standout this spring, with quality fish coming from nearshore hard bottom in 20–40 feet of water using shrimp on light tackle. Mangrove snapper fishing has also remained steady around reefs, rock piles, and artificial structure, with shrimp and small cut whitebait producing solid keeper catches. Overall, my anglers fishing out of Tarpon Springs are seeing strong bottom fishing opportunities and excellent variety heading into early summer.