Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By ROB GORTA
Published November 15, 2006

Great catch: Bob Murphy, a Champions Tour player and NBC golf commentator, and Larry Weiner of St. Petersburg teamed with me in the Mercury Grand Slam Celebrity fishing tournament. Murphy won the celebrity division with a 27-inch snook, 33 1/4-inch redfish and a 16-inch trout, totaling 76 1/4 inches. Weiner won the Angler Grand Slam with a 31-inch snook, 29-inch redfish and 18 1/4-inch trout, totaling 78 1/4.

Tactics: The day before the tournament I located schools of snook and redfish in areas where I have caught fish before. The tide was falling (outgoing) at the start of the tournament, so I targeted snook first. Since trout is hard to catch off Pinellas point this year, I made the long trip up in the bay to Weedon Island.

Tip from the pros: I was on the water at 4:30 a.m., loading up with scaled sardines. I did not want to waste time catching bait during the tournament.

Rob Gorta charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 647-7606 or visit captainrobgorta.com.

[Last modified November 15, 2006, 01:06:10]