Fall fishing conditions arrived this week with our first cold front. Cold fronts force the barometric pressure to go crazy, cool the gulf waters and turn every species of fish onto a feeding frenzy.
While gold-hooking bait this week, we boated a 60-pound cobia off an Egmont channel marker. Cobia are migrating south with the kingfish and Spanish mackerel. Fifty-pound class tackle and a strong gaff are needed to catch cobia. They are hard fighters and have been known to tear up coolers and tackle once you get them in your boat. Take your time fighting a cobia to tire the fish out before gaffing. Any live bait will be inhaled; big jigs worked around channel makers and reefs are an alternative.
Kingfish are feeding on most of our near shore reefs and shipwrecks. We prefer slow-trolled live baits for light tackle action. Fifteen- to 20-pound class tackle with wire stinger rigs is effective on kingfish and barracudas.
The next six weeks are the peak of the fall kingfish run. Blackfin tuna and sailfish in 60 feet and deeper water should be common in November. The shrimp boats are returning, producing huge chum slicks attracting tuna, kingfish and sharks. Grouper fishing is excellent 30 feet out to 80 feet of water. Hard bottom areas, ledges and cheese rock bottoms are holding good numbers. Start with dead bait and transition to live bait.
- Larry "Huffy" Hoffman charters out of John's Pass, Treasure Island. Call (727) 709-9396.
