July 1, 2020
By: Bill Aucoin
TAMPA Fla. – Welcome to Angler Insider sharing the best spots and plots to catch fresh and saltwater gamefish each week in Central Florida.
The Brief
- Covid-19: Keep distance. Wash hands. Don’t share lures, etc.
- July’s full moon is at 12:44 a.m. Sunday, July 5. Steep tides all week.
- Average daytime temps: 80-88F. Average daily humidity range: 55-70%.
- 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.
- Watch for isolated, afternoon storms.
Saltwater
Fish residential dock lights at night. Approach quietly. You might see snook, redfish, seatrout, ladyfish, and, sometimes, little tarpon. Cast to the darker water first. Keep a drag tight. You’ll see the strike. If you hook a big one move it away from the dock. NOW.
Strong tides (too strong, sometimes) will keep gamefish feeding night and day. Snook are hiding behind ambush points. Redfish and seatrout are in cooler, deeper, grass flats. Spawning tarpon and Elvis have left the building.
Freshwater
Expect another hot and humid week. Fish early. Fish late. Or, fish really late, like after dark. A full moon sheds light on your situation.
If you’re feeling the heat, so are bass. So are bluegills and shellcrackers. Flowing waters from creeks and locks will be cooler and have more oxygen. Explore drop offs and open water with deep vegetation. Watch your screen. If the surface temp drops just a degree or two, that’s gold. Fish all around the temperature seam for bass and for panfish.
As we move into the dog days of summer, don’t forget to drift-fish Central Florida’s amazing rivers. They provide shade and cooler water for bass and bream, and for their predators. Yeah, that’s us.
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