Captain’s Corner for May 29 Dave Zalewski 397-8815

Spanish mackerel, kingfish, bonita, and barracuda are highlighting the species to target for offshore trollers utilizing both live and artificial baits. This season has been different than previous years because of the late arrival of both baitfish and their attendant predators. Normally the middle of March is when we began to see Spanish mackerel and kingfish off our coast and the migration reaches a peak in mid-April. The Spanish mackerel remain throughout the summer, with their larger cousins leaving the area by mid-May. Barracuda normally can be seen on the wrecks and artificial reefs at the beginning of April and began feeding in earnest later on in the month.
This year is markedly different with our successfully targeting kingfish of all sizes on every trip along with the other pelagics this late in the season. Spanish mackerel fishing has been best within one mile of the beaches, especially near any of the passes on an outgoing tide.
Tip: Look for where the dirty bay water meets the cleaner gulf water and troll live bait or spoons just inside the dirty water. This seems contrary to the thought that the bait would be more visible in the cleaner water, but we consistently receive more strikes by staying just out of the clear water.
The first 3 sets of markers coming from sea in the shipping channel have been holding kingfish and bait on a daily basis. On some days the fish are finicky and will refuse to strike anything but a Spanish sardine and on other days will strike only a blue runner.
Tip: Start by offering both types of bait until one seems preferable for the day