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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 19, 2002
Scaled sardines and threadfins can be hard to come by, especially after prolonged cold fronts. One bait that often gets overlooked despite its plentiful numbers is pinfish. Two- to 3-inch pinfish suspended under a cork are excellent baits for large trout, redfish and snook.
The fastest way to capture four or five dozen pinfish is to use a chum mixture similar to catching sardines or threadfins. Anchor over grassflats in about 3 feet of water and start chumming. After five or 10 minutes, you'll notice hundreds of pinfish in the chum slick. A three-quarter mesh, fast-sinking net is essential. After throwing the net, pull it to the closing position using short jerks. Jerking the net closed will flush many pinfish out of the grass. Since pinfish are more durable and livelier than other baits, not as many are needed.
When using pinfish under a cork, hook the bait through the anal fin or just in front of the dorsal. Position the cork far enough from the bait to keep it out of the grass. When a fish strikes, don't be in a hurry to set the hook. Once the cork is under the water 2-3 seconds, lower the rod tip, slowly reel up your slack, then set the hook using a sharp upward wrist motion.
-- Capt. Wade Osborne operates Afishionado Guide Services out of Tampa and can be reached at (888) 402-3474 or by e-mail at wade@wadefish.com.