Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By JAY MASTRY
Published June 30, 2005

The new moon on July 6 hopefully will be a turning point for what has been a less than spectacular tarpon season. Red Tide is mostly to blame for terrible beach fishing this month.

Tarpon usually migrate along the beaches but they have gone offshore to avoid the toxic bloom.

Schools of tarpon have been spotted as far as 7 miles offshore of Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island and south Pinellas County beaches, indicating most are staying away from our area.

When searching for tarpon offshore, artificial reefs are good starting points. The St. Pete Artificial Reef in 30 feet is among them. Schools of bait that are fleeing Red Tide gang up on these reefs, attracting tarpon.

Carlos Lima landed several fish this week while working schools of greenbacks in 28 to 32 feet. Schools of tarpon had settled into the bait pods. Anchoring and bottom fishing with shad did the trick. Heavy chumming diverted the silverkings' attention from the greenies.

Some tarpon remain in bays during the summer. We caught several fish this week inside the Skyway bridge. A 150-pound Goliath grouper fought us to the boat while out for tarpon.

The new moon tides next week hopefully will help flush Red Tide from our coastline and return tarpon fishing to normal.

--Jay Mastry charters Jaybird out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 321-2142.

[Last modified June 30, 2005, 00:59:15]