Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By BILL HARDMAN
Published January 27, 2007

What's hot: The bottom water temperature has been warm. We have recorded temperatures up to 70 degrees just 20 miles west of Sarasota. This is unusually warm for January. Hopefully, this week's cold front will cause the temperature to drop and drive more grouper into the comfortable diving depths of 60 feet and less. The better concentrations of grouper and snapper are still being located in the northern areas of the gulf. Gulf waters west of Steinhatchee, Horseshoe Beach and Cedar Key are less populated and a far destination for many who live in the bay area, but the concentrations of grouper are better in these areas. Grouper are still in 50 to 75 feet of water west of St. Petersburg and Sarasota, but they are scattered.

Dive gear: Now is a good time to get your gear inspected and have annual service work done. The dive shops are slower this time of year and repairs can get performed quicker and special-order parts can be delivered from the manufacturers to the dealers on a more timely basis.

Winds: We've had many days with winds out of the east and southeast. Be careful when venturing offshore. The seas seem calm close to shore but once the winds clear the land, the seas get rough. Many divers like to set their gear up on the way out, but be alert when with winds from the east. A surprise swell can be dangerous, throwing more than just you into the bulkheads and rails of the vessel.

Bill Hardman teaches scuba, free diving and spearfishing through Aquatic Obsessions in St. Petersburg. Call 727 344-3483 or bill@tampabayspearfishing club.org

For today's tides chart, see the weather package on 2A, or online at outdoors.tampabay.com.

[Last modified January 27, 2007, 06:54:32]