The shallow grass flats in lower Tampa Bay are alive with action. Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, bluefish, jacks and bonnethead sharks will pull your drag until your arms tire.
Concentrate on flats 3-4 feet deep during high water, especially beside sand bars or ridges. To maximize time on the water, head out at the beginning of the incoming tide and fish the rest of the incoming and outgoing until the water drops off the flat. That's when most game species prowl.
Light tackle (6-12 pounds) is all that is needed. Spinning or bait-casting gear do the job. Tie a section of 20-pound leader to the end of the main line. Though there isn't a lot of structure on flats to cut the line, the mackerel, bluefish andbonnetheads can do a number on light line. These fish aren't picky. They'll take a variety of artificials or live bait.
In early mornings, surface chuggers or poppers draw plenty of strikes. Spoons, both gold and silver, will draw their share of attention the rest of the day. For live-baiters, small pinfish, threadfins, or whitebait are tops. Use No. 1 long-shank hooks and hook the minnows through the pectoral fins. This makes the offering swim erratically, producing more flash. The long shank hooks prevent cutoffs and are much easier to unhook than regular or short shank hooks.
- Capt. Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at 727 510-4376 or by e-mail at captrick@luckydawg.com
