Departing the dock at 8:30 in the morning, I was certainly skeptical of the fishing with winds blowing at 15 knots and seas kicking 2-3. Captain Mike Davis with Fins & Scales Charters gave me an immediate appreciation of his skills and knowledge of the area keeping us out of the wind and on the fish. We began by drifting along a small drop off about 100 yards from the shore using artificial baits since the white bait has dissipated from the area. The hook up with trout began immediately ranging from 16”-20”+. With a recent cold front, the bite required working the bait slowly along the bottom, this method proved useful as Captain Mike hooked up with a few nice sized Snook. We then moved out towards Lower Tampa Bay to find some Red Drum along some oyster bars. Here we could see the Redfish busting the mullet. Even dead-sticking proved effective here to land some slot-size Reds. All in all, Captain Mike’s 18’ Renegade and knowledge of the waters around Palma Sola Bay made for an excellent day by any standards.