Gone Fishing 07-09-07

July 9, 2007

Home		Gone fishing Capt. Larry Blue
		7/9/2007
Fishing Archives		The Spanish mackerel fishing this year has been great. They have been
		providing some of the best catches we have seen in a very long time. Last year at this
		time we were catching more than we are this year, but still a good catch all in all.
		Usually by the mid-summer they are few and far between, but not this year. We are
		still catching between 20 and 30 mackerel in a morning outing. Earlier this spring we
		often returned to the dock after boating up to 100 mackerel, or more. Let’s hope this
		trend continues.

		For those that care to catch some mackerel here are a few tips. First; get an
		early start! The mackerel are biting best from just after sunrise, until about 10:AM.
		Second; look for the bird activity and you should find the fish. Or, watch for a pod of
		dolphins in the area, they love mackerel. Third; Use tackle geared for the size fish you
		will be catching. Trolling with a 20 pound outfit is about all you need. With that said,
		we have had the best luck with SillyWilly spoons and a number 1 planer. For live-bait
		fishing, use 8-10 pound test outfit and a long shank hook baited with a lively
		whitebait, or sardine. Cut bait will also work, if you get the area chummed up.
		Fourth; release any fish you don’t plan on eating within a few days, for those you do
		keep use plenty of ice. And finally, if you want to introduce a kid to fishing this is a
		good way to do it. The mackerel are plentiful and should provide constant action.

		Along the beach there are a bunch of whiting and pompano in the surf.
		Whiting and pompano normally eat shrimp and sand fleas. The shrimp you may have
		to buy, but the sand fleas can be caught at the waters edge by hand. Pompano will
		readily take small lures designed just for them. Ask your tackle dealer about the
		pompano jig, the one preferred is also made by SillyWilly.

		Snook are all along the beaches and in the passes. Tossing a jig or a
		swimming lure such as a Bomber Long A or a 12 Fathom jig should get results. The
		early morning hours are best on the beach and the day and evening hours around the
		area bridges. Remember that snook are closed during their spawn. Snook are
		perhaps one of the most sought after fish by Florida anglers.

		Tarpon are winding down. The best fishing for tarpon is before the full moon
		in June. But there are still a good number of them in the passes in the very early
		morning hours. For those that want to experience the aerial ballet that tarpon are
		known for, either get out there soon or you’ll be waiting until next summer.

		Finally a few words on shark fishing. The past several issues I have written
		about some of the outstanding shark action. Summer is the best time to seek these
		creatures. We had been catching a good number of sharks in the 3 to 6 foot range,
		with a few that went well over 10 feet. And some that we couldn’t even stop long
		enough to see how big they were. Later this month and into August, the pup sharks
		will hatch and the parent fish won’t be feeding as they have been. This is probably a
		way to keep from devouring their young. As the little ones move from the beach to
		the backwater, angling for the parents will pick back up. As we ease into the new
		moon phase the sharks will return to their normal feeding habits just after sunset.
		Right now we are catching them just before the sun goes down.

		Good luck and good fishing, Capt. Larry
		Copyright 2007 CLB


		Capt. Larry Blue is USCG licensed full time charter boat operator and guide,
		departing from The Kingfish Dock, at “Gators on the Pass”, in Johns Pass -
		Treasure Island . He is a member of; The Maritime Consortium, The Florida
		League of Anglers and The Florida Outdoors Writers Assn. For charter
		information call: 727-397-3773 or 727-871-1058 cell OR
		Capt. Joe: 727-678-2959.