Bayport/Hernando Beach

[KeepinItSimple]

Anyone familiar with the area? Everyone says watch the rocks, moved to the area a year ago and do not know much about it. I usually fish Pinellas County but with these ramps 10 mins away, I would prefer to start fishing over here. Looking for any info to lead me in the right direction. 

[FunFlatsFishing]

Stay in the channel out of Cortez boatramp all the way to the end and you'll be fine. 

[KeepinItSimple]

Where do you suggest I go once out past the channel markers? Is there grass flats out there? 

[whichwaysup]

If I recall correctly, you've got the Oklahoma flats out a little ways, some really good trout fishing out there and tarpon move through there.  Really good fishing, but it's gonna take a while to learn.   Think about everything you know about fishing in Pinellas, then eliminate it from your memory.  You are fishing on a different planet, but the fishing can be phenomenal and it gets in your blood.  

I've had to move and learn completely new waters 5 times in my life.  The first three were incredibly slow and frustrating.  The last two have been incredibly fast and enjoyable.  The difference?  The last two times, I asked around until i found a really good local guide who was willing to come on MY boat and show me the ropes.  I hired them once every three months for a year, at the change of the season.   Generally, they charge a lot less when they are on my boat because its my gas, my clean up, my tackle that is being used.  Most were willing to stay out as long as I could stand it.    The purpose of the trip was never to catch fish, but to spend an entire day on the water learning areas, patterns, and techniques.   Those trips yielded phenomenal fishing for the 3 months that followed, then I would hit a dry spell because the season changed and it was time to learn new patterns.  Rinse and repeat.  

The benefits were more than just figuring out how to catch more fish.  It eliminated that AWFUL feeling of being on the water and not having a CLUE what you are doing.  After about a year, I had enough baseline knowledge to figure the rest out on my own.  

It's expensive, I usually pay about $400 (plus tip) for a full day, plus my gas, my tackle, etc.   But that $1200 for the year was better than any electronic, any power pole, or anything else I could have done with it.

Just my .02

[JEM]

Very good advice.  I bet 99.9% of my fishing knowledge was gained by being smart enough to fish with people who were better fishermen than me.  The other .1%, I was smart enough to figure out on my own.    Every time I have fished with someone new, I learn something.  I guess that is why I like fishing with "new" people.   

[KeepinItSimple]

Thanks for the useful reply. I thought about that also (hiring a guide). Does anyone have any recommendations in this area? 

[Convertible13]

I've caught a lot of redfish, trout and snook in the Chaz. It's 10 miles north of Hernando Beach. What ever you though, stay in the horribly marked channel. It can go from 10 feet to an oyster bar in a second. Once you get halfway in from the furthest marker out, slow down until you learn how to run it. 

I usually go on the trolling motor as soon as I get off the channel. Plenty of places to fish.