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Gone
fishing Capt. Larry Blue |
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10/27/2007 |
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Fishing Archives |
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It doesn’t get any better
than this! King mackerel have made their presence
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known on most of the
offshore reefs and many of the near-shore hard bottom areas.
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The massive bait schools
have been providing the kings with a good reason to stick
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around. There is lots for
the kings to eat and they won’t be going anywhere for quite
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awhile. |
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As the cold
fronts from the north work their way down to Florida , the
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weather change will
usually stimulate the king mackerel to start their migration to
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wintering grounds. Tampa
Bay and Pinellas County is the middle ground for the early
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migration. Huge schools of
mackerel; king, cero, and Spanish, are going to remain off
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our coast for the next
month, or more unless the weather gets too cold even for them.
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But that is some time off,
perhaps not at all, as we have seen years when the
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mackerel winter here just
off our beaches. |
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Recent catches
of king and Spanish mackerel are providing anglers with
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happy faces and bountiful
feasts. Known for the table fare as a good fish to smoke,
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mackerel surprisingly to
many are good as any on the grill or even fried and
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blackened too. In order to
try them you’ll have to go catch some. Are you ready to
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go try your luck? |
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If you think
king mackerel pull a line hard wait until you hook into a Bonita
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little tunny. This little
fish can make you think you caught the World Record king
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mackerel. Built like a
football with fins on steroids, they can strip off a hundred
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of mono line in seconds.
Once hooked, they work around in circles trying disparately
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to drag you and the boat
with them. But have faith, even though your arms grow tired
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you will eventually bring
the fish to the boat. They aren’t much as table fare, but they
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make up for that with
enthusiasm and effort. |
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Just before,
or just after a cold front hits our area watch for the
possibility of |
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sailfish or Blackfin tuna
to be found nearer to shore than usual. A good blast of
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weather usually makes them
run inshore. Last week after the front hit several Blackfin
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tuna were found within a
few miles of the beach. So far no sails reported, but we
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have high hopes. Keep your
eyes fixed on the horizon. |
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Grouper have
remained elusive for the most part but as the water
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temperatures fall they
should be moving closer to shore and make for easier targets.
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Have patience, it might
take sometime to get the bite going. Catching the smaller fish
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should get the grouper in
the mood to come check out your offering. When a grouper
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hits you better be ready,
I’ve seen some men brought to their knees with the initial
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strike. This is one of the
best fish for the table, which makes it the local’s main target
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fish.
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Inshore trout
fishing is picking up. Some have started showing up on the
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grass flats close to deep water.
As time goes on they will move to the backwater
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areas, but for now work the bay where
there is an abundance of whitebait and
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sardines. Snook under the lights at night
is becoming the best way to target this fish.
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Some can still be caught during the day, but
this fish is considered a nocturnal
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feeder. Sheepshead haven’t shown up in many
numbers yet, but that will change in
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just a few weeks. Redfish though, are in
fairly good supply around some of the oyster
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bars during high tide. |
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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 |
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