Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By LARRY HOFFMAN
© St. Petersburg Times
published July 24, 2003

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Targeting bait schools on the bottom and small ledges in 130 feet of water continues to produce good catches of grouper, gags and reds, mangrove snapper and American reds.

We took four people fishing this week, three women and a Marine, Clinton Thompson. The fishing was slow, and the highlight was a few short grouper and two octopi. Thanks to Thompson, we used the octopi to catch numerous mangrove snappers and a couple of red grouper.

Because the grouper and snappers feed early in the morning, we spent the rest of the day drowning live baits with little action. Moving off the full moon should increase the grouper bite.

Blue water action continues to be excellent. Weed lines have formed 30-50 miles offshore, producing dolphin and sailfish. Troll the weed lines with dolphin lures and ballyhoo to find the dolphin. Then free-line live pilchards to keep the dolphin bite going. Starting about 45 miles out, you hit "Tuna Turnpike" and "Wahoo Way." Trolling tuna clones and jet heads produce wahoo and tuna. Troll around weed lines and tide rips. Wahoo and tuna prefer dark skirted lures early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

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

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