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© St. Petersburg Times, published March 26, 2002
Big Spanish mackerel have invaded the lower bay and are ravaging glass minnow schools. The mackerel and bait schools are easy to find; just look for concentrations of terns and brown pelicans. Once you get close enough to the action, you'll be able to see the macks skyrocketing. Small silver spoons are the bait of choice; remember to retrieve them rapidly.
Mangrove snapper action remains constant along the channel edges. Mangos 2 to 3 pounds are common if you get there at the right time. Try to target the first and last two hours of the tide change. Scaled sardines will get inhaled in a minute, as will live shrimp. Use just enough weight to keep your offering on the bottom. Fluorocarbon leader definitely will help.
The speckled trout bite doesn't get much better than it is now. Yellowmouth trout larger than 20 inches are the norm. With the water warming, trout have moved to the flats during the incoming tide and are hanging around until the water drops. Jigs are getting attacked as soon as they hit the water, as are live shrimp and sardines. Remember, one trout larger than 20 inches can be harvested out of the four-bag limit in our zone.
-- Capt. Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376 or by e-mail at captrick@luckydawg.com.