Grouper digging may be better off the north end of Pinellas County, but if it's mangrove snapper you're after, the south end is hard to beat.
Calm seas and the new moon enticed us into the 30-mile trip to 90 feet southwest of Pass-a-Grille last week. After last weekend's trip with several of Justin Mastry's two dozen mangroves weighing more than 7 pounds, on Tuesday most of our 18 fish were in the 5-pound range.
Though I wouldn't make the trip without live bait, don't spend a lot of time gathering it. Ninety percent of the two-day total was caught on cut dead bait. While live bait sometimes sparks a bite, halves of frozen sardines worked best.
Thirty-pound line can handle mangroves, and a 50-pound leader allows you to catch some of the grouper that inhale baits intended for snapper.
Unaffected by cold water, sheepshead will be among the most dependable species for anglers close to shore. For the next couple months sheepshead will fatten up for their spawn and may be found nearly anyplace with barnacles. Use the least weight and lightest line possible. Baits vary: Oysters, mussels, tubeworms and fiddler crabs are among the best. Pieces of shrimp will work, but when temperatures drop the shrimp burrow and sometimes make it difficult for shrimpers to fill orders. You may want to call your bait shop to check availability.
- Jay Mastry charters Jaybird out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 321-2142.
