Outdoors
Daily fishing report
Grouper and kings can be at same spot.
By DAVE MISTRETTA
Published April 23, 2004
Grouper fishing has improved from the hard conditions of this winter.
My clients have caught 24- to 26-inch gags in 50 feet. Some spots hold an abundance of undersized fish with only a few big ones, and other spots hold only keepers, all looking like clones. These aren't huge fish, but they make a great dinner.
Free-lined baits have attracted kingfish at the same spots, and it seems to be all or nothing for the kings. If one bites, start heaving lines as fast as you can, because there's plenty more beneath. Most have been about 10 pounds.
For the past month anglers have traveled to 100 feet or deeper to catch red grouper. This week has produced some keepers in 90 feet. The edges of the sand and hard bottom are best.
Bait has been stacked on these edges, and you can pretty much count on pulling a grouper or two off these spots. Most bait schools are small vermilion snapper and flannel mouth grunts, both fabulous baits for grouper. We have jigged our baits while keeping a few grouper rods down. Squid, octopus tentacles and frozen sardines have also worked on some big reds.
The improvement of red grouper fishing this spring is a good indication we'll have a decent summer. On the good days I've limited our catches to no more than 15 keepers a day, and many other captains are doing the same.
Blackfin tuna should already have started to follow shrimp boats, but reports have been scattered. A temperature of 74 degrees is what commercial shrimpers like, so in just a few weeks it all busts loose. Already some of the fleet has ventured west of John's Pass in search of shrimp. After one night of unproductive dragging, they move on looking for greener pastures. After the shrimp have been located, the boats work the same area for days. Their nightly dumping of by-catch creates a massive chum slick, and blackfin tuna and spinner sharks move in with a fury.
- Dave Mistretta captains the Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call 727 595-3276, or e-mail sales@jawstoo.com
[Last modified April 23, 2004, 01:20:38]
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