Captain’s Corner for June 13 Dave Zalewski 397-8815

According to reports there are plenty of Spanish mackerel in Tampa Bay, but they remain scarce in the gulf. During the summer months when kids are out of school we book many of our most rewarding trips with 3 generations onboard. Trolling for mackerel has been the mainstay when we have young ones on the rods. On light tackle they provide both excitement and fast paced action. We have been forced to switch to bottom fishing for white grunts, grouper, and the smaller reef fish. Light tackle, two hook dropper rigs and fishing in the 40 to 50 foot depths to keep from having to make a long, boring ride have been the key to a successful trip. Terminal tackle can be the conventional swivel sinker with a 2/0 or 3/0 circle hook or the most productive will be to make a dropper rig with a bell sinker on the bottom with 2 2/0 or 3/0 hooks above the sinker. Large #16 sabiki rigs cut down into 2 or 3 hook rigs are very effective when used with a piece of squid. Normally when we have family trips we rig the adults up with conventional grouper tackle, oftentimes when the adults see how much fun it is to fish the smaller rigs they ask to be changed to the same. 6 white grunt filets are the perfect portion size for one person when beer battered or baked to make fish tacos. Red grouper fishing in the 80 to 100 foot depths, always deploy a stinger rigged flatline when bottom fishing no matter what the depth. Kingfish have been an almost daily catch in the deeper depths.