Strong southeast winds this week have pushed large schools of Spanish mackerel into the St. Pete Beach hard bottom. When Spanish mackerel hang in one area big kingfish usually show up, and smoker kings love to strike a freelined Spanish mackerel being drifted or slow-trolled.

Look for birds or surface activity to find Spanish mackerel schools. Drift upwind of a school and cast a small spoon with a wire leader past the school and quickly retrieve it, and have a double-stinger rig ready. When you catch a Spanish mackerel, use a wet towel to hold it, pull the spoon out and put the lead hook of the stinger rig in the upper jaw if trolling or through the back for drifting. Rig the bait fast to help keep it lively.

Keep fishing for Spanish mackerel while trolling, because trolled mackerel don't stay alive long and you must change baits often. Wait until you have a fresh mackerel on the line before reeling in the trolled bait, and throw the used Spanish into your cooler for dinner.

The 20-foot drop, 30-foot hard bottom and the 90-foot hole at Egmont Key are good spots to target big kings when the wind blows from the southeast. If the Spanish don't show on the surface, troll deep spoons through areas with bird activity. A No. 1 or No. 2 planer with a No. 1 spoon trolled at 1,500 rpm is a great way to find mackerel.

-- Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 347-1389.

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