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Are there any decent bait shops around Lake Tarpon? I see one on google on 19 south of Andersen park, but saw where he doesn't have good bait for the price. When I called to see if he was open he said no. Reports haven't been reassuring as I read he is hardly there.
Try Anclote Bait and Tackle..............When are you going to fish it?
Looking at next Sunday. Unless the bay is highly productive on Saturday with the moon phase.
All bait shops around tarpon springs - st pete up 19 area are extremely high
on their minnows - nothing in poundage - all are on per dozen thing -
Minnows are usually big enough to filet if they don't catch anything.
Bait shop, Seffner & one up by Bushnell are only reasonalle ones in area.
Trolling is possible on Tarpon with artificial - (blacks - chart - hot pink -
Charlie brewer sliders - Bassin Assin - Road runner, "Blue Cheese"
Is there a better way to fish the lake? I thought ideas most people troll around 1 mph on the lake. I prefer jigging but may be early for that.
They are hard to find shallow in Tarpon. So, so many cattails and same every where. A few bonnets with a lot of coontail grass and hydrilla. There a lot of specks and big Bass in that lake. Some times you can find them in the canal at the south end. Try around the bridge pillings. The only problem is idle speed for a long time and if they are not there it is a waste of time.
Single pole jigging is mostly done in South end of State at the Big O,
Not to popular up here............unless working St Johns River on laydown, oxboys
weedy islands...........Astor south to the 44 bridge -
As Yelim said, running down the canal is idle speed for almost mile to the
3 bridges - and pilings connected. Sometimes fish stack up in there, but this
usually won't happen until late Sept - October.
If you use artifical bait - tip it with Yum pieces, Crappie nibblets,
curley tails - sliders are best
Trolling speed can vary depending on what they want - .8 up to 1.4 mph
is not uncommon - work a zig-zag move to see how they attack your baits.
Time of day is big thing on Tarpon - sun rise to 10:30am is most productive.
Lake known for changing moods 3 - 4 times per day (colors - depths - speed
and amount of sunlight)
727-551-1113 Steve's discount bait and tackle
when was the last time you purchased minnows there???????????????
last spring
I called today and it went to Voice mail.
Thats not a good sign regarding a bait shop.
Might check with Tony Offfice - Henry Franks used to get his bait somewhere
in St Pete prior to fishing at Tarpon... Henry lives on south side down by the
"bridge"
If they are open --- They are there by 7:00 if not earlier.
They are closed untill Sep. 1............won't have minnows untill after Oct. 1. He said nobody catches any crappie this time of year. Does not open until 7:oo am.
Doesn't look like we will be trying it this Sunday. Going for pompano instead it appears.
Wow, i didn't know that -- thanks for update- Crappie don't bite this time of year,
therefore, as a bait shop we don't carry crappie minnows.
Have heard that sayin before, although, it seems they got to eat to gain weight,
and they can't store that much fat up to extend them over to November - February
time of year when they do bite ??????
Strange thing - wonder if bass also do the same thing?????
As well as mud fish - gar - catfish - bluefill - shellcrackers etc......
I couldn't Google Steves bait and tackle. But I googled the number and it came up as Lake Tarpon Bait And Tackle. That was the shop I called in my original post. That would explain why he said he wasn't open. But he did answer.
Wonder what else they do at the Bait & Tackle shop................
Suppling fishermen i think would be their number one goal......
Being open part time and equipped with needed bait part time really dosen't
send a good message.
People fish Lake Tarpon year round...........day & night........
Makes me want to support their shop
It's hard to support places like that. I travel 20 miles the day before and pick up my bait. There is one shop around here that doesn't open til 8. 8!? I'm hoping to have 10, 12 fish in the boat by that time. Bass fishermen start early also so I don't know what their thinking is.
Foxes corner sells em by the pound for pretty cheap. About a 15 min drive from there to north end boat ramp. I'm tipping a black chartreuse or electric chicken slider with a minnow and trolling .5-.8mph in 12ft-14ft of water. Start on the east bank at 1st light directly across the lake from Rogers park towards the north end. trolling north and south will get you over some good holes where they seem to stack up. Daylight until 10am is best unless it's overcast but if it's windy your better off staying home. If you see the white ranger spider rigging, wave hello
Where is Foxes corner ????
Have never heard of Rogers park - know of Anderson Park at North End
and Brooker Park down near south end.
The daylight till 10am sounds pretty much right regarding Lake Tarpon......
Where is foxes corner????????
Rodgers park is on the weekiwache river.
Feed Depot-Fox's Corner - Odessa, FL 33556 - (813)920-2514 ... don't have any until thursday next week.
Thought the man have gone a little "adrift" on his response as to bait shop
and where to fish..............
Thanks for update Dave
I know where Foxes Corner is but can you tell me where Rogers Park is? Also Is the ramp you are using on the west side of Lake Tarpon in a park? If so could it be Anderson Park?Quote:
Originally Posted by speckulator
Going to try to get on the lake for a couple hours this weekend. Have a bunch of house chores to do. After spending time reading various post excluding the 101 post. Think I will try crank baiting. Ordered bandit 200's. Maybe get a couple 300's as well. Once I get a feel of the lake then I will look into what rods I want. Trolling or long lining. Will be using my saltwater flats rods for now.
Can I mix crankbaiting with longlining when dragging?
Long-ling regarding Spec fishermen probably the same "crankbaiting" or "Dreagging"
Anything involved when pulling baits through water when power is being used.
Pushing is considered same as Spider rigging - only at much slower speed and your
pushing jigs, cranks through water under power
Other forms could be used - Bottom bounching - dragging with walking rods (mainly used up North on rocky bottomed lakes)-
drifting - bobbering - jigging (single or double)
Bottom line - you can fish any way you wish down here, any style. It would be nice
to use a relationship style (coined reference)so as others can be on same page as
yourself - getting the benefit from your post.
Longlining is trolling. Any rod will do, rods anywhere in the boat can be used for longlining/trolling. Rod length helps in keeping baits apart and makes a wider path through the water. Any bait on those rods is up to you. Similar baits would be easier to control and prevent tangles, must keep baits separated. Length of line out and speed of boat determines depth of bait. Please let us know how you do with the bandits. The bandits may match the shad in size at the end of growing season. I have another week of light duty before I try to get out. May go to Polk county first before Tarpon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by floridascuba
that's what I am trying to learn. I only grew up single pole jigging Lake O and bobber fishing at night. So anything else is new. Looks like from what I can determine is for most other lakes, spider rigging would be better late fall to early spring where crank baiting is better summer. either way I would be using my I-pilot, but at different cruise control speeds depending on what style. (which I am trying to learn the terminology).
what I gathered from reading and searching youtube videos. my speeds may be off a little as there was no science and everyone had a different opinion and varied.
crankbaiting is faster troll around 1.4
long lining similiar to crankbait, but pulling jigs normally tandem at about .8
spider could be push/pull at about .4 line is straight up and down.
That's real close. Trial and error. Some get real technical. I try to stay real simple, kiss method.
Fox's Corner is in Odessa @ 16820 Gunn Highway.. phone number is 813-920-2514. I just bought a pound of them on friday to fish lake keystone . my grandpa used to like the smaller minnow. "just a set of eyes" as he called it.. I prefer em as big as I can get em and Fox's has larger minnows than I seem to find elsewhere.
Your right.. Anderson park is at the north end and the boat ramp is 24 hrs. brain fart...
How did you do at Keystone? Used to have access to that like. Don't know how to get in any more. Foxes corner at Gunn Hwy and North Mobley Rd.Quote:
Originally Posted by speckulator
water is still pretty hot "89 degrees" on keystone and the bite was slow. shad seem to be everywhere and if the specks are in there like the bass are, it should be a pretty good place to fish.... if i can find them. Did you ever do any good on the specks in keystone? I just bought small undeveloped "and overpriced" lot on the lake with a boat ramp back in April. Any pointers on where and when to find them would be appreciated. Might even grant access to the boat ramp if I get to know ya.
When do you want me to bring my rig over and try?
There ya go Speckulator,
Dave is excellant fisherman - belongs to Florida Crappie Club,
has tournament fished with me numerous times.
Dave should be able to give you some good pointers, & advice - as well
as show you places on lake that with his various depth finders that should
produce.
Send him a pm.....
That was 50 years ago Don't remember much about the lakeQuote:
Originally Posted by speckulator
If you fish weekends then the weekend of Oct 10th I can free up some time.. If your able to sneak out on a weekday That changes everything. PM me and lets figure it out. Let me know when ya can. im up for it
If you fish weekends then the weekend of Oct 10th I can free up some time.. If your able to sneak out on a weekday That changes everything. PM me and lets figure it out. Let me know when ya can. im up for it