Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By MIKE WHITMAN
Published September 22, 2005

This past week we had one of those days that happen every once in a while but you still don't like to admit. We fished a full day in over 100 feet of water and never had a keeper grouper. We tried new numbers that we found that day, we fished numbers that we had caught fish on two days earlier, but we still caught nothing but grunts and two undersize scamp.

The Red Tide continues to take its toll on our fish population. There are dead fish floating from 50 feet to well over 100 feet. Bait between 20 feet and 50 feet is almost non-existent.

When we found fish they were hungry and bunched up. While it makes for a few hours of great fishing, when the Red Tide moves into that area with the shifting wind and currents many fish are killed.

The weather forecast for the next several days should help the bay and inshore waters, with easterly winds forecast from Wednesday through Saturday. Offshore, I have a lot of concerns, with sea conditions forecast from four to 30 feet depending how far offshore you are. I am afraid of more fish kill in the short term.

The good news is the weather should be changing within the next month. We should start to see the approach of cold fronts and the beginning of the pelagic run. Kingfish and Spanish mackerel should start invading the beaches. The inshore reefs should be stocked with blue runners. Lots of checks will be written from all the local Kingfish tournaments.

Mike Whitman charters the Mega-Bite out of Gulfport. Call 727 384-5729 or view the Web site at www.megabitecharters.com

[Last modified September 22, 2005, 01:04:14]