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Daily fishing report

By JAY MASTRY
Published August 28, 2006

Mangrove snapper are still among the best bets in the bay. Grouper tend to share their habitat, so we have been averaging a few keepers each trip by having at least one angler use heavier tackle and live pinfish while the rest keep it lighter for the mangos.

When working areas of heavier rock along the edges of the ship channel from Egmont Key to well inside the bay, anglers should use 30-pound test leader to get most mangos out of their rugged domain. Even a stout rod, 50-pound test and 60- to 80-pound leader won't get them all, but that gear helps when wrestling a grouper off its ledge. Heavier tackle often limits your bites or shuts them down.

Baitfish are abundant on many of our flats, but quality is the key. Much of what you see "raining" on the surface may be juvenile greenbacks. Because they are fragile and difficult to keep alive, they are less appealing. Three-inch whitebait are ideal for mangrove snapper up to 4 pounds and are worth the extra effort to gather them.

Focusing on the slower early morning tides has been most productive. Others reportedly have done well fishing varied hours at the major bay bridges, the numerous artificial reefs and structures in more than 10 feet of water. Mangrove snapper tend to be larger than average this time of year, so you can be selective with your five-fish limit.

Although there have been scattered reports of Red Tide to the south, Tampa Bay, for now, appears healthy and thriving. Schools of mackerel, jacks and ladyfish are crashing bait on the surface along the channel. Mackerel are being caught at the Fort De Soto and Skyway fishing piers. Pompano are being landed at the Gandy and Howard Frankland bridges, and a few skyrocketing kingfish have been seen in the bay.

Jay Mastry charters Jaybird out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 321-2142

[Last modified August 28, 2006, 08:02:21]