Offshore fishing report

Grouper demand a longer ride

By DAVE ZALEWSKI
Published January 13, 2006

This forecast for this year's fishing is bright, if you know where to look.

It's as if a barrier has been placed in the way of the annual migration of gag grouper into the shallow waters off Pinellas County. For as long as I can remember it was not necessary to venture deeper than 45 feet from January through March to experience great grouper action, often in as little as 15 feet of water.

But last year's Red Tide decimated much of the life on the shallower reefs, and little or no action can be found in the groupers' old, shallow haunts.

Bottom-fishing has been excellent most days after traveling to deeper water with live bottom. Some of the ledges and patch reefs in 45 feet are holding some fish, but many others areas at this depth are dead. We have found that boating to the 60-foot depths and fishing ledges and other high-profile structure has been the most productive.

The water temperature has dropped to the low 60s, and some patience is required at every spot. Gag grouper will bite after activity has been generated by chumming with either small pieces of squid and Spanish sardines if the current is not strong or by using a wire chum basket and a frozen block of chum if the tide is strong.

We make it a practice to have at least one angler start with a double-hook rig with 2/0 hooks when we start at a spot. The white grunts, triggerfish and mangrove snapper are much more active in colder water, and the action created by catching these smaller fish seems to lure the larger grouper into the strike zone and make them less wary.

It is best to start fishing on every spot with frozen sardines and squid, holding back on the use of live bait, such as pinfish and squirrelfish, until the bite slows down. Usually one or two large fish have been attracted but are hesitant to bite. The use of a large live bait or the head of a freshly caught grunt often triggers the bigger fish to feed.

Hopefully we will experience a spring kingfish, mackerel and cobia season this year. St Patrick's Day (March 17) is about the traditional time we can expect these pelagic fish to migrate into our waters. Now is a good time to prepare for the spring migration by checking drags on reels, inspecting guides on rods for nicks and cracks and making stinger rigs. We will experience many more cold fronts, and a to-do list helps an angler forget that he cannot fish on a bad day.

Amberjack have become more active on the offshore wrecks and springs, and anglers who are willing to spend time and burn fuel can experience some back-breaking, drag-pulling action. Many times the phrase "The bigger the bait, the bigger the fish," will be heard. The problem is finding large baits. Live mullet work well but cannot be purchased from a bait shop and must be cast-netted and kept alive in a large circulating baitwell for the trip offshore. Some of the wrecks south of the Egmont channel are beginning to hold some bait.

Last week we made a stop on a sunken barge that is known by several names: Doc's Barge, Chemical Barge and Shrimp Barge. The fish finder showed bait from top to bottom. Using a Sabiki rig with the lower 2 hooks tipped with squid, we caught grunts and pinfish and were surprised by several large threadfins and some juvenile sardines.

Dave Zalewski charters the Lucky Too out of Madeira Beach and can be reached at 727 397-8815 or by e-mail at Luckytoo2@aol.com

[Last modified January 13, 2006, 01:54:02]