Captain’s Corner for May 19 Dave Zalewski 397-8815

We were hoping that our spring kingfish season that started late would last longer than usual. Although there are scattered schools of kingfish to be found near the artificial reefs, wrecks and the shipping channel, the majority of the fish appear to have continued their migration to the Panhandle. A recent trip to markers 1and 2, 3and 4, and the Whistler was very disappointing in the fact that there was no bait to be sabiki up and the lack of bait resulted in no fish to be had even trolling hardware. Whenever we leave the dock, the bait cooler has an ample supply of frozen sardines and squid so that we can bottom fish as a back up plan. The hard bottom 2 to 3 miles north of the Whistler produced a variety of reef fish that included catch and release gag grouper, both undersize and keeper red grouper, white grunts, mangrove snapper and a surprising amount of undersize yellowtail snapper that were caught on the 2 hook grunt rigs.
The 60 to 65 foot depths are the key to some non-stop bottom fishing activity at this time. Keeper red grouper can be readily found in these depths by using both frozen and live baits. A live or dead sardine on a stinger rig will surely result in a few kingfish strikes while bottom fishing. White grunts are in a pre-spawn mode in these depths and some fish in the 15 to 17 inch range are being caught . Downsizing tackle to 10# class will provide both sport and excellent table fare

Captain’s Corner for May 13 Dave Zalewski

In the past as soon as the majority of the kingfish left our area , we would put away our trolling tackle and concentrate for the most part on bottom fishing in the 70 to 90 foot depths for red and gag grouper, white grunts, mangrove snapper , and yellowtail snapper. The kingfish have left us , but there are still plenty of species to target trolling. Gag grouper trolling in the 30 to 40 foot hard bottom areas has provided exceptional action.
Tip: For years the majority of trolling for gags has been conducted along the shipping channel going into Tampa. The channel averages about 40 foot deep. Hard bottom rocky areas that receive less pressure than the channel are accessible to the average boater without a long run offshore. A broken backed gold lure trolled behind a #3 planer, the large lipped stretch plugs in gold or blue produce the best.
Barracuda have made their presence known by schooling on the artificial reefs and wrecks for several weeks. They have just become active in their feeding and provide great action by slow trolling any large bait such as live blue runners or mackerel caught on site and deployed with a stinger rig.
Spanish mackerel action has left something to be desired offshore, but the best action has been right on the beach within a 100 yards. Trolling small gold or silver spoons behind a #1 planer, or sight casting small locally manufactured plugs into the schools of bait have produced exceptional action.

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

Red grouper, white grunts, and mangrove snapper have been our main targets in the 50 to 70 foot depths recently. It is necessary to catch and release many red grouper that are just short of the legal size of 20 inches overall. Deploying a stinger equipped flat line on every bottom stop has produced several memorable fish lately. Large Spanish mackerel, gag grouper, kingfish, barracuda and a tiger shark have all been drawn in by the activity of bottom fishing and the natural chum slick produced when bottom fish expel their stomach contents on the way up from the depths.
Tip: Putting out two flat lines, one with a nose hooked frozen Spanish sardine and the other with a live bait such as a blue runner, live sardine, or hardtail covers much of the water column. The dead bait usually sinks midway to the bottom , while the live bait remains near the surface.
Last week we were caught unprepared for the school of dolphin fish (mahi-mahi) that appeared under the boat while bottom fishing in 70 feet of water. From now on we will have one or two 10 to 12 pound class rods rigged with 2/0 gold hooks ready to put into service. Our usual drill when they show up is to start chumming with small slivers of sardine to beep them nearby and active. Chumming with large chunks only feeds them and they will soon move on. The use of a small gold hook allows a piece of bait the size of the chum fall naturally in the water column. Because these fish feed so voraciously, keep several hooks handy as it is usually quicker to cut the line and retie if the hook is swallowed.

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

What’s Hot: The water temperature reached the magical 72 degrees, which is the point where baitfish and their attendant predators are all comfortable. Schools of Spanish sardines have arrived but, because of the nearshore dirty water conditions caused by the recent cold front with its high winds, they have stayed offshore in the 30 to 60 foot range. Kingfish, Spanish mackerel, and bonita will be found crashing into these baitfish. The water has cleared up at the western end of the shipping channel and on the mid- water artificial reefs such as South County , Indian Shores and Veteran’s. The Rube Allyn reef has been consistently producing for the past two weeks for those trolling both live baits and hardware. Large spoons, lipped plugs of all sizes, and a ballyhoo/skirt combination trolled at 6 knots are effective for kingfish. Smaller 00 to #1 spoons and smaller plugs are necessary if Spanish mackerel are targeted at the same speed.
Once the bait is located the use of a sabiki rig will produce quickly produce enough to start fishing . Slow trolling at “as slow as you can go” speed is the key and bait can be continue to be caught while trolling.
Kingfish must be 24 inch minimum fork length with a 2 per person bag limit. Spanish mackerel must be 12 inch minimum fork length , with a 15 per person bag limit. As with any species “Limit your catch, don’t catch your limit” and there will be fish for the future.

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

Fishing for kingfish and Spanish mackerel has either been hot or “not” during the past week. On the days that the fishing has been hot, we have been fishing the shipping channel markers, Treasure Island artificial reef, and hard bottom areas northwest of the St Pete Beach artificial reef with almost non-stop action on both live and artificial baits. Going to the same areas only one day later, it is quickly evident that the fish have moved on, and after a reasonable length of time dragging holes in the water without a strike we have changed gears and went bottom fishing.
Bottom fishing has stayed consistent in the 50 to 80 foot depths with red and gag grouper, white grunts, scamp and porgies providing most of the action. Gag grouper are a game fish until July 1, when the season opens , and are catch, photo and release. There has been no complaints from our clients when releasing these great battlers, especially when they realize that by releasing the fish another angler can enjoy the same fight.
Tip: Deploy a stinger rigged flatline on every bottom stop made because the activity of the bottom fish being brought up will entice any pelagic predator in the area to partake in the easy meal provided by the stunned smaller reef fish being put back and the steady chum stream caused by the reef fish expelling their stomach contents and lost baits.

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

Captain’s Corner for October  8  Dave Zalewski  397-8815

Two holidays have significance for offshore fishing in our area. Columbus Day, October 10, and St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. The water temperature and length of days  around these two days usually are such that  kingfish and cobia either have arrived or will shortly. The strong easterly winds have kept us in port, chomping at the bit, and anxious to  try trolling at the usual kingfish spots like the artificial reefs, wrecks and the Egmont shipping channel. The forerunners of the larger migration will arrive in smaller scattered schools and are best located by trolling spoons and plugs behind number 1 through 3 planers at 6 knots to determine at what depth the fish are feeding. Use of a #3 planer and a broken-backed small lipped gold plug will also target gag grouper along with kingfish in the depths around 30 feet. Some of the newer deep diving large lipped plugs in either blue or gold colors have also proven to be effective in these same depths.

Tip:

A good pair of binoculars has proven to be an invaluable safety tool for the past week with the strong  winds we have encountered. When the wind is out of the east, the gulf can be deceptively calm near shore and out to a few miles. Looking at the horizon with binoculars allows one to get a perspective as to what conditions really are like.

Reminder: Check drags, guides and line. The season is almost here and tackle shops will be swamped with those seeking last minute repairs.

Captain’s Corner for September 15  Dave Zalewski  397-8815

Spanish mackerel fishing is continuing to offer an almost sure thing on a daily basis in the Gulf. They are concentrated near the mouth of  nearly every pass on the outgoing tide and then after the tide change they can be found within a mile of the shore by watching for diving birds. This past Monday we put out #1 planers and small gold spoons  in the no wake zone before entering the gulf through John’s Pass and were rewarded with Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, and jacks. We were destined to venture offshore , but found it hard to leave the school of large mackerel that were concentrated between the bridge and the first set of markers. After a dozen fish were iced in the box our trip continued to the Treasure Island reef where every large concrete pile held baitfish, more Spanish mackerel, undersize kingfish and barracuda. The barracuda put on aerial displays , jumping clear of the water and dazzled us with drag screaming runs just like large kingfish make. The barracudas were brought to boatside, Boga gripped, photoed and released to provide another angler the same exciting battles.

Stopping on mid-water reefs like the South County proved to be disappointing with little in the way of bait or fish to be seen. Trolling both live and artificial baits resulted in little more than empty holes being dragged in the water.

There has been no need to venture past the 65 foot depths to target red grouper, white grrunts, and mangrove snapper. Take squid, frozen sardines, live pinfish and sabiki up some live sardines and hardtails. The grouper will bite one particular bait on one day and not even look at the same bait in the same area one day later.

Captain’s Corner for August 24 Dave Zalewski 397-8815

What’s hot: The weather would come in first place with offshore fishing coming in a close second. Spanish mackerel fishing has been as good as it gets for several weeks on all of the artificial reefs located 5 to 7 miles offshore. The baitfish on these reefs remains small, so the use of 0 and 00 spoons or small streamer flies pulled behind a #1 planer or small trolling sinker is the key to almost uninterrupted action from these spotted speedsters. Barracudas have finally made a strong appearance on these reefs and it makes the day of a young angler to reel in a half of a mackerel. Blue runners are available and slow trolling one on a stinger rig will often result in a strike from these acrobatic hard fighting fish.
Bottom fishing for red grouper, white grunts, mangrove snapper and triggerfish remains exceptional in the 70 to 90 foot depths. Targeting the transitional area where the sand bottom joins the swiss cheese limestone is the key to putting keepers in the box. Try different baits such as frozen sardines, squid, cut grunts, pinfish and squirrelfish until the correct bait for the day is determined. Lately we have found that the bait used one day with success will not produce well the next day when fishing the same area.
Last Friday we experienced a better than usual day with the pelagic fish. We started with Spanish mackerel and barracuda on the artificial reefs, then traveled to the 75 foot depths west of John’s Pass for some bottom fishing. Deploying a stinger rigged flat line with a frozen sardine produced a mid 20 pound kingfish. Shortly after that the drag started screaming and we all thought another king until we saw the sailfish tail walking across the surface. After a 45 minute battle on spinning tackle Bud Hunt landed and released this beautiful specimen.
Tip: Always deploy a flatline while bottom fishing