Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By CHAD CARNEY
Published March 18, 2006

One of the areas hardest hit by Red Tide last year was the South County Artificial Reef, 10 miles west of Madeira Beach. Schools of bait, rays, crabs and other bottom dwellers were decimated, and the overpopulation of goliath grouper also disappeared. This reef, at a depth of 45 feet, has been very dirty most of the winter. The 25 feet of visibility Thursday provided our first good look since 2005.

The reef has rebounded and is alive again with numerous large sheepshead atop the list. There are some mangrove snappers mixed into the sheepshead schools on the new barges with range markers on deck, even though the hulls have little growth attached. The most heartening sight was the many postcard-sized hogfish feeding on the new growth on the culvert and concrete rubble piles.

A brand new white float ball adorns the bow of the Orange Tug, and the wreck was easily seen from the surface. It had a lone goliath grouper hanging out under the stern and some of the tiny hogfish as well. Bait schools have yet to repopulate the high structures but should soon as the water temperature gets into the 70s. A few wary gag grouper were observed on the tug and each of the debris piles, but were not pursued because of their borderline size. One technique freedivers use to gain shot opportunities on bigger, craftier fish is to remain motionless on the bottom for about half of their breath-hold time.

Chad Carney teaches diving and spearfishing in the Tampa Bay area. Call 727 423-7775 or visit his Web site at www.mobilescuba.com

[Last modified March 18, 2006, 02:30:29]