Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By CHAD CARNEY
Published June 27, 2006

This past weekend, visibility was 50 feet in waters from Pasco to Sarasota counties, from depths of 50 feet and deeper. From about 80 feet and beyond, the water is more like 100 feet of visibility above a thermocline and the same 50 feet on the bottom, along with about 78 degree temperatures. The gumbo algae has all but vanished. Even shallow water less than 30 feet has 15 feet of visibility and plenty of sheepshead.

Gag groupers are acting skittish and have still been hit and miss for spearfishermen, but mangrove snappers are everywhere. Hogfish remain small inshore, recovering from last year's Red Tide. The Middle Grounds has been reachable in the calm seas despite thunderstorms, and it has been producing trademark big hogfish from 15 to 20 pounds. Many more gag groupers have been found there with some blacks mixed in as well. Medium-sized amberjack have also been speared near deeper wrecks and bottom structure.

Veteran spearfisherman Paul Renner won the 43rd Southern Open Spearfishing Tournament this past weekend in Tarpon Springs. Renner had the highest aggregate score in the five categories (grouper, snapper, hogfish, amberjack/cobia and sheepshead/trigger).

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

[Last modified June 27, 2006, 01:39:35]