Until the wind started blowing at the end of last week, offshore fishing was about as good as it gets.
The kingfish run usually is over in mid May. But it was possible to catch them while catching bait on the way to the 90-foot depths, where Lane and mangrove snapper and gag and red grouper have taken up their summer residences.
The new south county artificial reef and other mid water reefs have just about every live bait imaginable. Spanish sardines, cigar minnows, threadfins and pinfish are in abundance. All can be caught with a "sabiki" type of bait catching rig. Many anglers go to the yellow marker denoting the reef's center and drift while jigging bait.
A 3- or 4-ounce sinker helps keep the multiple hook rigs from tangling, especially when large baits are caught.
Chumming with slivers of frozen sardine attracts bait and predators. Cigar minnows feed on the chum but not the sabiki rigs. Adding sardine skins usually results in a well full of baits. Pinfish stay closer to the bottom and can be caught with a No. 8 or 10 gold dropper hook rig with small pieces of squid or sardine.
- Capt. Dave Zalewski charters the Lucky Too out of Madeira Beach and can be reached at 727 397-8815 or by e-mail at Luckytoo2@aol.com
