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© St. Petersburg Times, published August 5, 2002
The dog days of summer are upon us. The heat is hard on fish and anglers. At the same time, there are many boats out every day, for fishing and pleasure.
The solution is night fishing. It is cooler with less traffic. Also, the fish feed better.
One enjoyable type of fishing involves anchoring near range markers or channel-marker buoys. Be sure you're not in the channel.
Put a chum block over the side, and augment it with menhaden oil. A newspaper bag with a tiny hole probably works best. Set up a light that shines into the water. Soon, threadfin herring, pinfish and other baitfish will appear in the chum slick. These can be netted or gold-hooked.
Before long, predator fish show. Sharks of various sizes and species generally come first. Cobia, tripletail, snappers and, sometimes, mackerel also turn up. You usually can hook whatever comes by as they are there to feed. Thirty- or 40-pound test rigs are about right.
Safety is of paramount concern. Be sure the lights, radio, spotlight and horn work. And wear life jackets at all times.
-- Capt. Archie Giannella charters out of Tampa on The Noble Neil and can be reached at (813) 251-5512 or by e-mail at CaptArchie@mindspring.com.