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© St. Petersburg Times, published June 20, 2002
Water clarity often dictates what fishing method will be most productive. In clear water, a visual presentation of your bait or lure is what the fish are keying on, so it's important to keep what they can see to a minimum. Downsizing your tackle is essential. Eight- to 10-pound test spinning gear, smaller hooks and the use of fluorocarbon leader will produce more bites from snook, redfish and sea trout.
Other fish species roaming the grass flats in lower Tampa Bay such as bluefish, Spanish mackerel and juvenile shark are toothy, aggressive predators who can shred monofilament line and leader with little effort. A short piece of No.4 wire leader will help prevent cutoffs and save money on lost lures, spoons and hooks.
You can keep the action going by using a frozen chum block that slowly melts in the water, dispersing fish oils and ground-up bait fish throughout the water column. Small bait fish and predators will actively feed in the slick, giving you a better chance of putting fish in the cooler and keeping a supply of live bait at the ready.
When using wire leader, it's a good idea to wear gloves if you would like to keep all your fingers. A hook remover or needle-nose pliers are essential for removing hooks and lures from toothy creatures. Use extreme caution when handling fish who have teeth; just because it's in the boat doesn't mean the fight is over.
-- Capt. Dan Brooks charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 867-7856 or by e-mail at captaindan@baysbestcharters.com.