Captain’s Corner for October 13 Dave Zalewski 727 460-9893

After cancelling 5 straight days in a row because of weather, we ventured offshore anxious to see what we would find on Tuesday. With the northeast wind sea conditions were great from the shoreline out to 3 miles and then the seas started to build because we were no longer in the lee of the shore. As is our custom we deployed 2 lines with #1 planers and small gold and silver spoons as soon as the Intercoastal depth reached 10 feet leaving John’s Pass. It is a no wake zone and idling speed between 5 and 6 knots is the ideal trolling speed. Six Spanish mackerel and one ladyfish were landed before we reached the bridge and the gulf. Trolling south towards Blind Pass produced spotty action from mackerel and the thought crossed my mind to return to the bay side of John’s Pass, but the charter party wished to go offshore as far as reasonable with the wind and sea conditions. Treasure Island artificial was the next target, and the Spanish mackerel were larger and more plentiful. Switching one rod to a #2 planer and a larger spoon produced much larger fish along with a kingfish. The highlight of the reef was a 25 to 30 pound blacktip shark which inhaled a stinger rigged skipped ballyhoo and put up a memorable battle on 20 pound class tackle.. Madeira Beach artificial reef was the next spot we tried and it produced Spanish mackerel and a barracuda.
Bottom fish were targeted for the rest of the trip 3 to 5 miles north of the reef and using squid and frozen sardines. White grunts along with a keeper gag and a keeper red grouper along with a kingfish, that inhaled a live hardtail on a flatline, while we were anchored added to the catch. Sea conditions would have been miserable further offshore because with a strong east wind the seas build up the farther one goes.