Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By JAY MASTRY
Published April 21, 2005

With a couple of the spring's most popular Kingfish tournaments yet to come, favorable weather this week may open the playing field a bit.

At least on the southern end of the county, easterly winds have allowed the nearshore waters of the Gulf to clear. Tuesday, we witnessed countless schools of bait inside twenty feet from the Don Cesar to Blinds Pass. Some came within a quarter mile of the beach.

Spanish Mackerel have been drawn to take advantage of the easy pickings, and so too have a few straggling kingfish. Several caught in last weekend's tournament weighed in over 20 lbs., including a 45-pound monster.

The Egmont Ships Channel is another productive area, especially in spots free of seaweed or other floating debris. Diving birds are also an indicator of where the bait is and heightens the odds of finding kings. Sunday's full moon will create screaming tides this weekend, particularly along the narrowed mouth of Tampa Bay. Making headway while trolling against the tide will be extremely difficult during midtides. Take advantage of the slower tides surrounding the changes.

[Last modified April 21, 2005, 01:06:12]