Spring fishing conditions are finally here, and the fishing couldn't be better. Mike Hubbard and Capt. Garner Koons clobbered the gag grouper in 40 feet of water last week.

The best bite has been late morning and early afternoon during and after the tide change. Live bait has been preferred by the bigger gags, some weighing over 15 pounds. Fluorocarbon 40-pound leaders will get the bigger gags to feed.

Kingfish were caught off Sarasota last week. They were "schoolies" weighing 12 to 15 pounds. That tells us the kingfish are on their way north for their annual spring migration. Huge bait schools are showing up just south of the Egmont Channel and over most near-shore shipwrecks and reefs. Amberjacks are feeding aggressively and can be found in 80 to 130 over wrecks and springs. The bigger your baits, the bigger the jacks you will hook.

Look for shrimp boats offshore in 90 to 120 feet and have some great action with blackfin tuna. Live Spanish sardines, threadfins and cigar minnows work best when freelined off the boats' transom. You may have to weed through bonitos to get the tuna. If they are thick, try chumming them to the surface. Then use a 4-ounce weight with a 6-foot leader to try to get your bait deep, as the tuna sometimes hang out down under.

-- Larry "Huffy" Hoffman charters out of John's Pass, Treasure Island. Call (727) 709-9396.

Back to Sports

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

From the Times sports desk

Outdoors

Another try goes on land, under bridges

Daily fishing report

In brief

Dockett likely to reject plea offer

Baseball

Hampton solid but finds fault

Wells may face discipline

NHL

Caps regain Southeast lead

Cycling

Area riders dodge rain to win in Florida Series

Storm

For once, Storm holds on

College basketball

Moccasins bounce Eckerd, advance to final

'Noles snap skid against Clemson

Duke can't withstand Storm

NBA

Magic wins with 39-12 run in 3rd

Motorsports

Dixon debuts with splash

Kenseth and crew fly

Golf

Steady Woods tops spirited Toms

Rays

Piniella ready to trim

Godzilla a pal to Vaughn

John Romano: Soul purpose: Yanks have one, Rays in need

Bucs

QB irate over new offer

Bucs QB heading to 'Skins

Lightning

Lightning not the only beneficiary of playoffs

From the wire

From the state sports wire Jacksonville's Spicer placed on IR after leg surgery
FIU-Western Kentucky game postponed because of Jeanne
Brown anxious to face old team for first time
Dolphins' desperate defense readies for Roethlisberger
Former Sarasota lineman sheds tough-guy image with Michigan
Rothstein rejoins Heat as assistant
No. 16 Florida has history on its side against Kentucky

FSU and Clemson QBs both off to slow starts