Outdoors

Captain's Corner

By ROBERT McCUE, Times Correspondent
Published November 8, 2007

The passing cool front this week and the accompanying new moon tides have been a catalyst for peak fall fishing. Water temperatures on the flats are in the low 70s and likely will tumble slightly with today's reinforcing high pressure. A fast warming trend, however, is forecast so we can expect the excellent fishing to continue.

Nearshore: There are grouper, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, cobia, sharks, bonita and incidental encounters with offshore redfish and tarpon. Pasco and Hernando's deep grass flats and areas just west of the 20-foot contour line get the nod.

Inshore: Snook have become consistent catches the past two weeks north of the Anclote River. Juvenile tarpon have been active in the river bends and canal junctions. The presence and willingness of these two species to bite has been a staple in achieving frequent grand slams (snook, redfish, trout, tarpon) on several of our latest outings.

Pro logic: How long the bait will hold during the fall is difficult to predict. Right now, the bite is abundant. Many of our game fish are "keyed in" on this migration of baitfish. Savvy anglers fill their bait wells to capacity and disseminate the bait as live chum throughout their day. Game fish respond quickly to chumming techniques right now, so if they don't, they are likely not there. Continue hunting.

Robert McCue can be reached at gianttarpon.com or (800) 833-0489.

[Last modified November 7, 2007, 20:04:31]