Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By LARRY HOFFMAN
Published December 13, 2005

Grouper and amberjack are your best bet for offshore fishing. Excellent catches of gag grouper are being made in 75 to 90 feet, when you can get out, that is.

Look for good weather a couple of days after each cold front. The water temperatures offshore are still in the 70s and the grouper bite has been aggressive. Frozen sardines cut in half and fished on the bottom have produced some big fish.

Craig Lahr caught gag grouper up to 20 pounds Sunday. His group was fishing ledges in 85 feet and the grouper was plentiful. They also caught mangrove snappers up to 6 pounds. Lahr said they had most of their success with live pinfish, which are available at area tackle stores. I like to net the pinfish by starting a chum slick using cat food then throwing a net. One throw in shallow water usually will produce all the pinfish needed.

Amberjacks have moved closer to shore and can be caught on springs and shipwrecks as shallow as 75 feet. Big blue runners and pinfish work best, though jigs also can produce.

Blackfin tuna are still around at 100 feet or deeper. Try free-lining live bait off the transom while jack fishing. If you can get some "white" bait you have a good chance at landing a tuna.

--Larry "Huffy" Hoffman charters out of John's Pass, Treasure Island. Call 727 709-9396 or e-mail him at huffyl@tampabay.rr.com

[Last modified December 13, 2005, 01:31:15]