Tampa Bay Action / NY Trout Opening Day Approaching

We are about 3 weeks out from another Trout Opening Day! The NYC Reservoirs have filled up nicely and there is some snow due in this week. This should set us up with some good water levels for the early spring trout season.

The Baxter House Fly Shop will reopen April 1 (Opening Day). We will resume offering rooms on April 15. We will resume posting our Upper Delaware Fly Fishing Report right around the first. . As usual the Baxter House guide staff will be around every morning prior to their trips. This is a great time to stop by and get location specific advice.

Our guides are now available for guided float trips on a daily basis. If you are looking to get out for an early season trip give us a call. At this time any day where the weather gets up into the 50's could offer some action.

This year we will be offering a early season float trip special. All float trips prior to April 15 will go out at the special price of $375.00 for one or two anglers. These trips are mostly streamer fishing and every year we find some real big browns at this time!

I Have Trips through April 5th in Tampa Bay. I will be back in Roscoe a few days later. I have some openings between now and the 5th. if you are looking to get in on the excellent action we have been having.

Every day recently has been a slam dunk. We are getting numbers as well as big fish. The biggest issue facing me at this time is what to fish for.

This week I had a full week of charters. The days were split with some fly fishermen and some light spin tackle trips. I also got some of my guests to pick up the fly rod for the first time ever.

The Snook are absolutely crushing the flies right now. Just about every mangrove lined shore is instant action whenever the tide is moving. This week we have had some real big boys. We landed several snook recently that measured between 30 and 40 inches.

We have also been getting lots of action on the edges of the flats. This week the action has been red hot with Big Trout, Mackerel, Jack Crevale, Bluefish and Ladyfish. Several days we got into steady action with Macks that were right around 30 inches. The speed of these fish is incredible and I have seen a lot of backing this week.

For fly fishermen the action is all about Baitfish right now. We are currently using 5" streamer flies along the mangroves. Olive / White, Blue / White, Tan / White and the Everglades minnow pattern are best. On the flats and in the blue water Chartreuse and White clousers ares what you need. For those of you who tie flies it is important now to tie some with very long hook shanks and just tie the fly on the back third of the hook and leave the front 2/3 bare wire. This will keep the toothy predators from breaking you off on every strike.