Last week we teed up a pure inshore game plan—and it’s paying off. With bait thick and tides pushing, the most reliable action around Clearwater Harbor and up into St. Joseph Sound has come from oyster beds, mangrove edges, and dock lines. If you fish the structure correctly—quiet approach, right angle, right timing—you’ll stay bent on snook and redfish, with bonus trout and mangrove snapper in the mix. Conditions Snapshot Bait: Pilchards easy at first light on markers and windward edges; glass minnows on sand troughs near the beach. Tides: The first 90 minutes of moving water is gold (incoming for reds on the bushes; either direction for snook on docks). Water: Clarity swings with wind; cleaner water = lighter leader and longer casts. Launch: Seminole Street Boat Ramp (Clearwater) and Turtle Cove Marina (Tarpon Springs) for short runs to protected structure. Oyster Beds: Don’t Rush the Edges Why they work: Current wraps and slows—perfect ambush lanes for reds, trout, and snapper. Boat setup: Idle in and stake/power-pole up-tide; avoid wake on the bars. Live bait: Pinfish or pilchards on a 1/0 circle, 25–30 lb fluoro; let the tide carry the bait along the shell edge. Lures: Gold spoon for search, then a 3–4" paddletail (1/8 oz) when you contact fish. Tip: If you nick shell, you’re in the lane—re-tie often. Mangrove Edges: Pitch Pockets, Not the Wall Presentation: Short, accurate underhand pitches past the pocket; swim the bait with the tide out of the shadows. Live bait: Free-lined pilchards or cut bait placed up-tide so it settles naturally at the opening. Lures: Weedless jerk shad or paddletail on a 3/0 EWG hook; keep it quiet. Leader: Start 30–40 lb on snook days; drop to 25–30 lb if it’s clear and the fish are wary. Docks & Seawalls: Shade + Angle = Snook Why they work: Predictable shade lines and pilings that funnel bait. Boat handling: Set up up-current and cast past the target; let the bait cross the shade seam under control. Live bait: Pilchards on 1/0–3/0 circles; count it down for mid-water strikes. Lures: Walk-the-dog topwater at gray light; then a 1/4 oz jighead + 4–5" paddletail to work pilings. Tip: Most misses come from bad angles—fix the line of travel, not the lure. Tackle & Settings (What We’re Running) Rods/Reels: Medium to med-heavy Shimano 3000–4000. Line/Leader: 20–30 lb braid to 30–40 lb fluoro (snook around structure), lighter for open flats. Hooks/Jigs: 1/0–3/0 circles; 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads; spoons for search. Quiet boat = more bites: Soft feet, slow hatches, and keep the trolling motor a click lower than you think. Best Trips to Book (Inshore, This Week) 2-Hour Quick Trip — $300: Sunrise structure hop (docks or an oyster line) with minimal running. 4-Hour Inshore — $550 (most popular): Prime tide on two structures—mangrove edges then dock shade. Small Tweaks, Big Difference Leader check every fish or nick—snook sandpaper will cost you. Cast past the spot so the bait travels naturally through the strike zone. Pause at the edge of an oyster bar or pocket—let current finish the presentation. If you bump shell or dock and spook fish, stake out and let it rest—then return with a quieter angle. Where We Focused This Week Dock lines with early shade inside Clearwater Harbor. Mangrove points and pockets on the flood north toward St. Joseph Sound. Oyster bars with clean water and moderate flow—especially where a grass flat meets shell. What We Provide All licenses, premium Shimano gear, bait/tackle, ice & water, and hands-on coaching for any experience level. Bring sun protection, snacks, and a small cooler for your car if you plan to take fish home (when allowed). Next Week’s Preview Sheepshead on docks and bridges. As we edge toward fall fronts, expect rising numbers on pilings and fenders. We’ll cover fiddler/crab and shrimp/sand flea rigs, how to feel the thump and set the hook, and which tide angles keep your bait in the bite zone.

Snook season kicked off strong and this week the inshore mix of snook and redfish stayed reliable from Clearwater Harbor up through St. Joseph Sound. With bait thick on markers and windward edges at daylight, we’re starting tight to structure and riding moving water along mangrove points, docks, seawalls, and bridge fenders. If you’ve been waiting for the green light to book an inshore mission, this is it. Conditions Snapshot: - Bait: Easy whitebait/pilchards at first light; pinfish on grass edges; glass minnows in the troughs. - Water: Late-summer clarity; best windows on clean incoming or the first of the outgoing. - Tide/Timing: Sunrise and the first 90 minutes of moving water = prime. A second bump later with the stronger tide push. - Launch points: Seminole Street Boat Ramp (Clearwater) and Turtle Cove Marina (Tarpon Springs) for short runs. Snook: How We’re Getting Bit - Setup: Position up-tide of ambush spots—dock corners, seawall shade lines, and the up-current sides of bridge fenders. - Live bait: Free-line pilchards on 1/0–3/0 circle hooks with 30–40 lb fluoro; keep casts past the target and swim baits through the seam. - Artificial: Walk-the-dog topwaters at gray light, then 3–5" paddletails or jerk shads on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads as the sun rises. - Boat handling: Short, quiet moves. Let current do the work; don’t bomb long casts that spook the zone. Redfish: Where & What They’re Eating - Edges that matter: Oyster bars, mangrove points, and shallow grass/sand transitions with a little flow. - Live bait: Pinfish or cut bait placed up-tide so it settles naturally on the edge. - Lures: Gold spoon for covering ground; switch to a paddletail or weedless jerk shad when you find a school. - Tide note: Reds love a creeping flood tide that slides them higher into the bushes—plan accurate pitches into pockets and prop-wash eddies. Tackle We’re Running (Simple & Effective) - Rods/Reels: Medium to med-heavy Shimano 3000–4000 class. - Line/Leader: 20–30 lb braid, 30–40 lb fluoro for snook around structure; drop to 25–30 lb leader on flats for reds when it’s clear. - Hooks/Jigs: 1/0–3/0 circles; 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads; a couple spoon sizes to match depth/wind. Best Trips to Book This Week (Inshore): 2-Hour Quick Trip — $300: Sunrise snook/redfish sampler; minimal run, maximum lines-in. 4-Hour Inshore — $550 (most popular): Work docks, mangroves, and bridge shade on the prime tide. 6-Hour Inshore — $800: Add time to revisit a productive tide window or switch zones without rushing. 8-Hour Inshore — $1,050: Full flexibility to fish both tide swings and multiple structures. Small Tweaks = More Bites - Leader checks: Snook will sandpaper you—re-tie early, not after the heartbreak. - Angles > distance: Cast past the target and work with the flow; most takes happen when the bait crosses the seam. - Steady pressure: Circles do the work—avoid the home-run hookset on live bait. - Quiet feet, quiet hatches: Especially on skinny water redfish. Where We Focused (This Week’s Pattern): - Clearwater Harbor seawalls and dock lines at first light for snook. - Oyster edges and mangrove points north toward St. Joseph Sound for reds as the tide creeps up. - Pass corners only when current speed aligns—short windows but worth a look on the stronger moon. What We Provide - All licenses, premium Shimano gear, bait/tackle, ice, water, and coaching for every experience level. You bring sun protection, snacks, and a small cooler for your car if you plan to take fish home (when allowed).

On our Inshore Fishing Charters this week we were focused on one thing . . . Snook! The calendar finally flipped, the first “bait rains” are pouring off the causeways, and snook season is open. From the Seminole Street Boat Ramp south through Clearwater Pass and north into St. Joseph Sound, fish are pouring off the beaches and stacking on points, docks, bridges, and mangrove edges. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to plan a Clearwater snook charter, this is it. Conditions snapshot Bait: Thick pilchards (whitebait), threadfins, and glass minnows on markers and edges early. Tides: Stronger moon tides = best ambush windows on points, seawalls, and passes. Water: Still summer-warm; snook are aggressive at first light and again when tide speed picks up. Where we’re fishing: Clearwater Harbor edges, ICW points, dock lines with current, bridges, and the up-tide corners of passes. Why early fall is the best snook window Fish are fired up: They’ve spent summer cruising the beaches; now they slide back inside to feed hard ahead of the first cool snaps. Bait is everywhere: Easy to net, easy to chum—perfect for family trips and numbers days. Target variety: We’ll catch snook while picking at redfish, trout, mangrove snapper, and the nearshore mackerel bite can be a bonus on longer trips. Predictable setups: Tide + structure + shade lines around Clearwater make snook positioning more consistent than midsummer. Tackle & techniques (what we run on Tightlines) Gear: Shimano spinning rods and reels in the 3000–4000 class with 20–30 lb braid and 30–40 lb fluorocarbon leaders. Live bait: Pilchards or pinfish free-lined to dock shadows, seawalls, and current seams. Artificial: Topwaters and walk-the-dog plugs at gray light; then paddle tails / jerk shads on 1/8–3/8 oz jig heads when the sun rises. Boat handling: We set up up-tide and present baits back naturally—short accurate casts beat “bombing” long ones. Best trips to book for snook 4-Hour Inshore (most popular): Sunrise launch, fish the first tide window hard, and be back before the heat. Link this text to your 4-hour page. 6-Hour Split: Start with snook on structure, then slide nearshore for mackerel/snapper if conditions allow. Link to your 6-hour page. 2-Hour Quick Trip (families): Perfect for kids—short run, lots of action around bait schools. Link to your 2-hour page. 8-Hour Full Day: Chase the morning snook bite, break mid-day, and hit the afternoon tide swing. Link to your 8-hour page. Where we’re finding them (this week) Dock lines & seawalls: Shade + moving water = ambush. Skip a bait under the catwalk and hang on. Bridge fenders: Fish the up-current side first; count your bait down and keep contact. Pass corners: Clearwater Pass edges on a moving tide—short windows but big rewards. Mangrove points: Look for glass minnows being harassed; toss a pilchard or slow-roll a paddletail. Pro tips to convert bites: Leader check: After each fish or nick, shorten and re-tie—snook sandpaper will cost you. Cast angles: Throw past the target and swim the bait through the zone; don’t land right on their heads. Be patient: Let the snook load the rod on live bait; steady pressure beats a big “home-run” hookset. What’s included on our charters: All licenses, top-tier Shimano gear, bait, tackle, ice, and water. Up to 6 guests. We’ll coach newer anglers and still put advanced anglers on technical setups if you want to sight-fish or throw artificials only. Next Week’s Preview “Open Snook Season = Peak Booking Window.” We’ll lean even harder into sunrise snook missions with stronger moon tides, more bait on the flats, and fish repositioning deeper inside Clearwater Harbor. If snook is your target, lock in a sunrise 4-hour while we have prime dates—this is the stretch we circle on the calendar every year for consistent numbers and shots at slot fish.