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Gone
fishing Capt. Larry Blue |
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12/18/2006 |
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Fishing Archives |
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Offshore bottom
fishing for grouper has been excellent. The good thing about |
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this time of
the year is that you don’t have to travel very far out into the
Gulf to find |
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the fish. Some
of the best fishing has been within 8 or 10 miles from shore and
a |
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number of fish
have been caught even closer. |
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Small rock piles
and hard bottom areas have been holding the baitfish that are
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attracting the
grouper to search out a meal. Position your boat over the
hardest |
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bottom you can
find. Start fishing using smaller hooks baited with cut squid.
The first |
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fish to the
bait will be; triggerfish, grunts, snappers, black seabass, and
some other |
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small but tasty
fish. We have even been bringing in some nice sized flounder.
The |
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activity will
attract the grouper closer to investigate. After a short time of
catching the |
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smaller fish,
drop down a big bait or perhaps a line baited with a live
pinfish. You |
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better be ready
when the grouper hit as it won’t be a slight tug like the grunts
and |
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triggerfish,
you’ll be holding on for dear life. Just don’t let the grouper
get under one |
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of the rocks or
fishing will be over as the grouper bellows out a warning to his
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buddies. |
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Anglers fishing
along the ships channel have been rewarded with good |
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catches while
trolling big lipped plugs along the edges. Several plugs work
for this, |
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Mirrolure,
Bomber, and Rapala, to name a few. The use of a planer, or down
rigger, |
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is effective
using smaller lipped plugs. Work the lures just off the bottom,
taking care |
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not to snag the
scattered rocks. This method is good to find the grouper out
away |
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from the channel as well. Running across the hard bottom
trolling the lures should help |
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to locate the
concentration of fish. Once found you could anchor and proceed
using |
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bottom fishing
techniques. |
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A synopsis of
inshore fishing. Sheepshead are on the bridges and docks |
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gnawing their
meal right off the pilings. Redfish can be found around some of
the |
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docks with deep
water nearby. Trout are among the grassflats during the day and
on |
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the lights at
night. Snook have made their way up into most of the backwater
canals |
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and bayous.
Black drum have been under a number of bridges in the area
feeding on |
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blue crabs. In
short, inshore fishing is great. |
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Silver trout are on
the beaches. Fishing for silver trout during the winter |
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months is a
staple in this area for light tackle anglers. The trout can be
found just out |
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along the Gulf
beaches in rather large schools. They are easy to locate, just
work |
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your way up the
beach watching the bottom for the fish. The use of a fish finder
is of |
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importance when
the water is cloudy. Using light tackle rods baited with any cut
bait |
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or tossing
small soft bodied lures is effective. While these fish are easy
to catch and |
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you should
catch quite a few, please be selective and release those you
won’t eat. |
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Let the little
ones go and they will be back next year when you return. Teach
your |
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children conservation. |
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
Treasure Island , Saturday, January 27, 2007, |
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9 AM.
Volunteers are needed to help plant Sea Oats on the sand dunes
on the beach |
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at Treasure
Island . For those interested in helping to protect and to
beautify our |
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wonderful
beaches, please contact; George Greenfield, at; 727-360-8021.
Meeting |
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at the entrance
to the beach, 124 Avenue and 1st Street West . We
welcome our out |
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of town
visitors to participate. Come help and have a great day making
new friends, |
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creating a
natural habitat and enjoying our beaches in beautiful Treasure
Island. |
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Good luck and good fishing, Capt.
Larry |
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Copyright 2007 CLB |
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Capt. Larry Blue is
USCG
licensed full time charter boat operator and guide, |
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departing from The Kingfish Dock,
at “Gators on the Pass”, in
Johns
Pass - |
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Treasure Island . He is a member
of; The Maritime Consortium, The Florida |
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League of Anglers and The
Florida
Outdoors Writers Assn. For charter |
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information call:
727-397-3773
or 727-871-1058
cell OR |
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Capt. Joe:
727-678-2959. |
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