The Tampa Bay Times

August has long been our favorite and most productive time of the year to mangrove snapper fish, and we’re right in the thick of it.  Seemingly anywhere there’s an amount of structure – there’s an amount of mangos.  Artificial reefs both inshore and off are always a good bet.  They’ll gang up at the bridges and jetties leading to the Gulf.  My favorite “go to” mango grounds is the many mile stretch of rocky edges and ledges along the Ships Channel from the mouth of Tampa Bay to several miles inside it.  You can wear em’ out with a 3” whitebait offered on a 20 lb. outfit with a 2 oz. sinker, a foot a half length of 20 lb. fluorocarbon leader and a one ought hook.  Bring some heavier stuff if you go.  Grouper roam those same ledges the mangos do.  Best of the rest:  Until it’s closure on September 23rd, scalloping is about the most fun you can have with your snorkel on.  With it, a dive flag, mask, fins and a catch bag is all you need for some of the most laid back “fishin” you can do.  You may spend the next half day cleaning the little fellas’ but the many ways to prepare them makes for a delicious seafood dinner.  From St. Pete, we’ll trailer the just over an hour trip to Weeki Wachee and put in at the Bayport Boat Ramp.  About a 10 mile run to the north puts you in the fertile grounds outside the Chassahowitzka and Homosassa Rivers.  If you don’t have GPS numbers to check, the packs of boats scattered about is the tell-tale sign of where it’s happening.

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