Fishing Pinellas County artificial reef systems

Most reef structure in Pinellas is constructed of culverts and broken up concrete with some concrete pipes mixed in for good measure. The most common 3 reefs are located about 6miles out in 25 to 30 foot of water.

We will just cover 3 for this article and move on to the rest in other articles. The most accessible reefs to the common Florida boaters are the Clearwater reef, The Dunedin reef and the Tarpon reef.

Since gas prices are going up again, it is a good idea to troll on the way out. It takes a lot longer but saves a tremendous amount of gas. Try trolling at least one top bait such as a Rattle Trap or similar and a Stretch 15 to 25 for the bottom. Troll at four and a half to five miles an hour for best results. As you near the reefs keep an eye out for other boater trolling, and fall into the general pattern if there is one.

Starting from the south the Clearwater Reef is one of the best. The reef is older and holds a variety of fish. Coordinates are as follows

Clearwater Reef
No maintained buoy
N 28º - 00.950’
W 82º - 53.700’

The Clearwater reef is easily found do to there’s always 10 to 20 boats fishing on top of hit. The reef holds Grey snapper, some grouper and lots of Kingfish most of the time. Grey Snapper are plentiful along with Black Sea Bass. Your best bet for all reef fishing is not to anchor on top of the reef.

Try and anchor 5 to 8 feet away from the structure and chum up the water at first. Use dead bait at first such as cut sardines or squid. When grouper bite they go right back into the structure and if you are on top of the structure the chances the grouper will cut your line on the structure is greater. Anchoring a little bit away gives you a fighting chance to bring the grouper up, before he can reach the structure. After your chum slick has diminished switch to live pinfish or greenbacks. Larger reef fish just love a live pinfish.

Dunedin Reef

The Dunedin reef is located
No maintained buoy
Depth 25-30 feet N 28º - 03.200′ W 82º - 54.550′

You will find high profile structures at the north end and pyramids 1,000 feet south of the center of this reef. This reef is heavily fished as well, best bets are to get there early in the morning or late in the afternoon to get yourself a good fishing spot . This reef produces some large Mangro Snapper as well as Black Sea Bass, tons of grey snapper as well. Do to being heavily pressured the grouper bite is not as prevalent at the Dunedin reef.

Tarpon Springs Reef

Not as heavily fished as the other two reefs above and still very productive. The location is as follows

No maintained buoy
Depth 26-28 feet N 28º - 08.250′ W 83º - 55.850′

Pinellas County has limited the construction to avoid harming the reef’s large established live bottom, placing all the reef material south of the center position. The natural bottom supports a healthy population of sea bass, grunts, and snapper. Trolling this reefs has been extremely productive the last couple of years.

Trolling between these reefs has had its ups and downs in the past between Clearwater and Dunedin you will troll over vast area’s of Sandy bottom broken up by splotchy area’s of hard bottom as you get closer to Clearwater. The tarpon reefs has more of a natural living bottom and you will see it as you approach on your depth finder.

When trolling between these reefs and you get a grouper landed mark your position and fish that spot as if you were fishing the reef. There are many small ledges and rock piles that hold near shore grouper

Pinellas County has an excellent website on the location of these reefs click here for more information.