Outdoors

Captain's Corner

By LARRY HOFFMAN, Times Correspondent
Published October 4, 2007

What's hot: Spanish mackerel up to 5 pounds are on our coast. Redington Long Pier and the Skyway piers are enjoying good catches by casting small spoons and small live baits. Earlier this week, a few kingfish were picked out of the big schools of mackerel. A couple were up to 28 pounds. Early season kings can be big and are usually found alone.

Tactics: Look for jumping mackerel, bait spraying or small white mackerel bird flocks picking up the pieces of bait fish left over from the feeding mackerel.

Tackle: Anchoring and using chum blacks and small live baits, 30-pound wire leaders are an effective method to catch mackerel. Open-faced reels work best, so you can cast to the fish. Light line, 15 to 20 test, is plenty.

Tips: Bring a tarpon rod with a large threadfin or pinfish. Tarpon are feeding on the baits as well as the mackerel.

Larry "Huffy" Hoffman charters out of John's Pass, Treasure Island, and can be reached at huffyl@tampabay.rr.com or 727 709-9396.

[Last modified October 3, 2007, 20:26:46]