Fishing report for March 15: Sheepshead, seatrout, pompano action is good

March 15, 2015

What the Bill Jackson’s staff is hearing and seeing out on the water:

Sheepshead are still chewing on barnacles around pilings and structure around the bay, and seatrout remain a constant as they’re hitting just about anything.

Pompano action is heating up around the Skyway Bridge and jetties. They’re hitting jigs, shrimp and sandfleas. They haven’t been spotted on the beaches just yet.
Redfish are still schooling, though the number of fish in each school is trailing off. Reports from Cockroach Bay put the schools at around 15-30 fish. The reds are feeding on greenbacks and shrimp.
Snook are in the marinas but moving onto the flats as well. They are also hitting greenbacks and shrimp.
Kingfish are in the bay and on the beaches, bringing with them barracuda, and the bonito action offshore will continue to get better as the conditions warm up.
Reports are the grouper bite is falling off.

Looking ahead

As the water warms, there will be more bacteria in the water, and the wintertime water clarity we enjoyed will drop off. When working shallow areas, make sure you have the bottom machine on to avoid bars and structure.
Schools of baitfish will be increasing and the action throughout the Tampa Bay area will really turn on. Snook will get even more active, and the tarpon migration will arrive in a few weeks, bringing with them big sharks.