Outdoors

Captain's Corner

By DOUG HEMMER, Times Correspondent
Published December 3, 2007

What's hot: East winds have the bait schools hanging close to the beach, luring large mackerel, bonita, bluefish, sharks and kingfish. As long as the water temperature is in the upper 60s and the wind out of the east, the area will be a hot spot.

Technique: Start with a livewell full of whitebait. Rig rods with 30-pound leaders and a No. 2 long shank hook. Anchor over hard bottom and deploy a frozen chum block. Chum the area with live whitebait every five minutes to keep fish feeding behind the boat. Nose hook the bait and cast it where fish are striking the surface. A few kingfish may be caught using this technique, but to target them you'll need to slow troll. Use large threadfins and scaled sardines rigged with a stinger rig. Troll two or three rods as slow as your boat can go. Work areas where you see birds flocking and mackerel striking the surface. Change baits often to keep them lively. Drags should be loose and the rods need to have at least 200 yards of line. When you hook up, keep the boat close to the fish so you can maneuver around the crab traps. The best action has been sunup to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to sundown.

Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 347-1389.

[Last modified December 2, 2007, 21:53:26]