Outdoors

Offshore fishing report: Light tackle a cure for kids' summertime blues

By DAVE ZALEWSKI
Published June 23, 2006

Now is a great time to introduce youngsters to light tackle sport fishing in the gulf. Spanish mackerel can be found within 100 yards of the beach from Clearwater to Pass-a-Grille and will strike small gold and silver spoons trolled at about 6 knots. Children lose interest quickly, and trolling in these areas often provides nonstop action. In addition to the mackerel, small bluefish, blue runners, lizardfish and ladyfish are also fun for kids. No. 1 planers or spoons trolled behind cigar sinkers on light rods will work and are not too heavy for a child. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to fish these areas, and a few hours is all it takes to produce results.

Barracuda are staked out on most artificial reefs and wrecks and are lots of fun when caught on spinning or 20-pound class conventional tackle. Sometimes it takes only a slow troll or drift across a structure with a blue runner or hardtail to get a strike. On occasion, the fish charge the bait and veer away at the last second. This typically occurs when the water is extremely clear, requiring a modified stinger rig of light wire with 6 inches or less of leader in front of the live bait hook. Every barracuda fights differently. The first may be acrobatic like a sailfish, leaping 10 to 15 feet in the air in an attempt to shake the hook. The next may stay deep like an amberjack and slug it out with the angler for as long as 30 minutes on light tackle.

Grouper fishing has been somewhat slow, but nice gags can still be found on ledges, rock piles and other structure in 80 to 100 feet. It pays to start with frozen sardines and squid to get the smaller reef fish biting, which draws the grouper. Live baits are usually necessary to entice the larger fish because of the abundance of bait now. Pinfish, squirrelfish, small blue runners, hardtails and large threadfins are good baits for the summer. Downsizing tackle to 20-pound test spinning, along with a 1/0 live bait hook and 2- or 3-ounce sinker, should produce yellowtail snapper, mangrove snapper and triggerfish on structure. Triggerfish and yellowtail bite best on pieces of squid. Mangrove snapper are more apt to strike the small tail of a sardine or pinfish.

We have been surprised by kingfish on almost every trip lately. They have been striking slow-trolled live hardtails and Spanish sardines near the artificial reefs and markers near the entrance of Egmont Channel. Deploying a flat line with a live bait while bottom fishing has been productive not only for kingfish but bonita, large Spanish mackerel and barracuda. On several occasions mangrove snapper in the 6- to 7-pound range have hit the bait as well.

Schools of mahi-mahi can be found in 70 to 100 feet throughout the summer and often show up under an anchored boat or behind a hooked grouper or other reef fish. When they are spotted, slivers of sardine should be used as chum to keep them near the boat. Large chunks will only fill their small stomachs or fail to draw interest. Gold hooks 1/0 or smaller should be used on 10-pound test spinning tackle with no leader. Bait should be the same size as the pieces of chum and float down with it. Once a fish is hooked, it should be kept in the water until another hookup occurs.

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 June 23, 2006, 01:02:06]