blue gill

Central Florida Angler Insider for June 26th-July 2nd

June 23, 2020

By: Bill Aucoin

Welcome to Angler Insider sharing the best spots and plots to catch fresh and saltwater gamefish each week in Central Florida.

blue gill

The Brief

  • Canoe and kayak river access has opened at Hillsborough River State Park near Wesley Chapel.
  • The boat launch has opened at Colt Creek State Park near Lakeland.
  • Florida’s TrophyCatch program has logged 10,000 bass weighing eight pounds or more.
  • Release snook, redfish, and spotted seatrout south of Hernando/Pasco line.
  • Keep up to five bass but only one 16 inches or longer.
  • Keep up to 50 panfish of any length.
  • Keep up to 25 crappie (speckled perch) per person.
  • Covid-19 — Maintain safe distances. Wash hands after refueling, etc.
  • Isolated afternoon thunderstorms possible. Check the weather and radar here.

Freshwater

It’s time to catch bream, bass, and catfish on shady, cool sections of rivers. They include the upper sections of the Hillsborough, Cotee, Withlacoochee, Alafia, Little Manatee, and Peace Rivers. Bluegills like poppers, foam spiders, minnows. They’ll be in ambush-mode behind fallen timber, bridge pilings, and structure where the current speeds up. For bass, skip soft plastics under overhanging branches shading deep water.

On lakes, fish flowing water for bass and bream below locks, spillways, and channels that connect lakes. After the sun rises, fish deeper water. A recent Kissimmee Chain tourney winner caught 3 pounders on deep, isolated brush piles. Big bass hide in hydrilla. Cast heavily-weighted, weedless worms into the thick of it. Or, dangle a frantic shiner.

Saltwater

The opportunity for an inshore slam continues on Gulf shorelines and in lower Tampa Bay.

Work the mullet line for redfish. Fish sandy or grassy shorelines near barrier islands for snook. For seatrout fish deep grass spotted with sandy potholes. Catch fat seatrout around the spoil islands on the ICW near Dunedin.

Going for the Grand Slam? Tarpon are rolling early in the morning in barrier island passes. As the sun rises and shines down into the Gulf you can sight-cast to tarpon.

To check the weather radar and forecast, please click here.

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