Outdoors

Check potholes for reds, be patient with snook

By Dave Walker, Times correspondent
Published November 16, 2007

We are in a transitional period in Tampa Bay. The weather has changed dramatically and the water temperature continues to drop. Fish will be on the move, so expect abrupt changes in all aspects of fishing in our area.

Redfish are still prowling the flats. Recent low tides have bunched up fish into the potholes. When the water drains out on extreme tides, the deeper places will often hold large concentrations of fish.

During a recent trip, we found a way onto a shallow grass flat. We saw a large school of mullet milling around in a sandy depression. As we approached, numerous snook and redfish scattered. We anchored and started catching reds instantly on live greenbacks fished under clip-on floats with a No. 2 circle hook.

Be careful on the flats this time of year. The north winds that often accompany cold fronts can drain the water off the flats quickly. When venturing to the shallows for a late-season session, make sure the tide is coming in. Getting stuck right before nightfall on a cold day is no fun.

Snook are still actively feeding in preparation for the upcoming cold season. Freshwater tributaries or the mangrove backwaters are good places to search for them.

As it gets colder, snook activity will diminish as the water temperature drops. A snook's metabolic rate slows down so much that it almost doesn't have to eat. This is why greenbacks become much less desirable for live bait. A cold snook does not want to exert the effort to chase a fish when it can simply slurp up shrimp or some other slow-moving dinner.

A good holiday gift idea would be a dehooking device or a lip-gripping tool. Using either of these tools is much more fish-friendly than the conventional method of touching the fish. The tools also keep anglers away from sharp teeth, treble hooks or sharp gill plates.

If you must touch a fish, use a wet hand, never a towel. A towel will breach the slime layer that protects the fish from disease. This is especially true for spotted seatrout. If a fish is handled correctly, it has a great chance for survival.

Traditionally, this is the time of year when cobia follow the spotted eagle rays at the Apollo Beach power plant. On a calm day, the rays can be seen on the surface and often have several "hitch-hikers" on their backs. They cruise together but the cobia can be peeled off of the ray with the correct offering. The eel look-alike soft-plastic jigs get slurped up like spaghetti when presented in front.

Cobia are tenacious fighters and are known for on-deck theatrics that send anglers scrambling for higher ground.

[Last modified November 16, 2007, 00:48:00]