July is going to be hot and our winds have blown backwards for so long they seem stuck from the westerly direction. It’s, of course, impossible to guess when weather will return to our normal southeast patterns but I am optimistic it will? Most of our fish are as confused as I am about what they are supposed to be doing and where they should be now. I’ll try and help you with some of my best guesses and some ideas that will at least help put more fish on your stringer. Tarpon are so confused it’s hard to tell what we are going to experience. They usually hang around both Boca Grande/Charlotte Harbor and the Tampa Bay area well into August and even September. Some should be around Boca Grande Pass and others inside Charlotte Harbor.

Look for Silver Kings around the Skyway and up inside Tampa Bay also. The strong west winds through most of June made beach fishing almost impossible because it was so rough. We had fish in and out of the Big Pass whenever the winds backed off. Check with some of the locals for hot tips and look forward to next season. I am not giving up now, just accepting the reality that our crazy weather has messed up the fish habits and patterns for now. Tomorrow could improve and be awesome. Snook were red hot, hungry, and as plentiful as I’ve personally observed in decades. We had schools of hundreds of fish for several weeks. As I put this together the fish seem to have scattered about back inside our bays and the islands. It’s been too rough to fish outside.

The pets at Stump Pass Marina are still packed at the shrimp tanks but very few around our pass and Ski Alley right now. We usually have schools there on our big moons but this is just a crazy cycle. Minnows and shrimp are very, very small but we do have some. Lures are a good idea; just have some faith and give em a chance. Soft plastics with single hooks are recommended since it is catch-and-release season now! Match the hatch and make your imitation mimic a crippled baitfish; many of us overwork lures and make ‘em into super minnows that scare fish away. Redfish did cooperate some last week with our extra-high tides. Pinfish worked great for us. Noisy popping corks can help if you make them talk to the fish. The pop sounds like feeding fish.

It’s time for Redfish to begin to school up and start moving West towards the Gulf. These are mostly over slot fish migrating into the Gulf to join up with the breeding schools offshore. I expect some red hot action around the Skyway and Pinellas Bayway areas in Tampa Bay with all the fish they have had recently. Work points and oyster bars at high tide. Trout are available and a good choice now. Again soft plastics and rattle corks can make your day Trout fishing. Pinfish produce larger Specks, if you have the patience. Concentrate effort on deeper grassy edges, current seams and eddies. Moving water moves food to hungry fish. Move if you catch smaller fish because Trout are cannibalistic so little fish will not hang around big ones! Some fish may be around the passes now, if it’s calm. Work schools of smaller minnows as they naturally chum fish together. Snapper were going strong but disappeared last week here. I don’t know what to make of this because it’s time for them to peak now! The tiny minnows are perfect if the Snapper come back.

Use fluorocarbon and circle hooks here. We have seen some nice Spanish Mackerel recently and will work them if conditions allow us to. I chum with the small minnows and use long shank hooks. This is usually our best action and most meat for the table in July. Carry plenty of ice and drink lots of water. Ladyfish and smaller sharks help keep kids busy and happy here. Have a boat plan, besides the family plan, prepared for those big hurricanes now so you don’t have that additional worry when it heads our way. Your family needs your full attention if we have to leave town. Fish early in the mornings and don’t get caught by the evening thunderstorms. Use sun screen or pay the dermatologist big bucks you can not afford to. Scallop season opens up on the Nature Coast; try your luck and have fun cooling off. Crawfish sports season is late this month in the Keys. We have some choices and opportunities, so make your plans to enjoy a slice of paradise before a big storm blows it away. Let’s go fishin’ soon. Capt. Van Hubbard Past President of Florida Guides Association and Winner of 1999 Mote Marine Award info@captvan.com