Outdoors

Captain's Corner

By DAVE ZALEWSKI, Times Correspondent
Published February 8, 2008

Offshore: Bottom fishing for red and gag grouper, triggerfish, scamp and white grunts has been excellent, with some of each species ending up in the box as we head back to shore.

Grouper fishing closes for a month beginning Feb. 15, and we have been practicing catch and release already because of the terrific red grouper fishing at 90-foot depths. Normally the red grouper leave the flat, hard "swiss cheese" bottom during the winter and do not return in large numbers until late May or early June. Every recent trip to those areas has resulted in each angler on board catching his or her allowable limit of one red grouper per person. Once our limit of red grouper, along with some triggerfish and white grunts, was caught we moved to 60 foot depths to target gag grouper on ledges and rock piles.

We carry a variety of bait offshore - frozen squid, sardines and live pinfish. On most days frozen baits have been the most productive because the lower water temperature causes the fish to have a slower metabolism, which makes them reluctant to chase a live bait. However, a live bait dropped after the bite slows down often triggers a secondary feeding frenzy.

If you check your main line and leader for nicks and abrasions - and use a strong knot such as the uni-knot - you can downsize to a 40-pound-test main line and 50-pound leader, which results in more bites in algae-free clear water. Because they have small mouths, triggerfish, scamp and white grunts can best be targeted with 20-pound spinning or conventional tackle and 1/0 or 2/0 hooks.

Wrecks, freshwater springs, and many of the rock piles on the natural gas pipeline at depths 80 feet and deeper are holding amberjack. They are best targeted with large live baits such as blue runners and pinfish, but they can be caught by trolling large-lipped diving plugs or broken-backed gold plugs behind a No. 3 or 4 planer in figure 8 patterns over the structure.

Inshore: The fishing closer to shore has heated up for several species. Silver trout have invaded one of their usual haunts, the hard-bottom area just west of the Redington Long Pier. The silver trout show up on a depth finder as a mound right on the bottom, and they can be located by drifting until one is caught. Of course, the best way to find them is to simply look for the group of boats with bent rods. Don't approach too closely, but that should put you in the right area. Use light tackle and a tandem jig rig tipped with a piece of shrimp to produce nonstop action.

Sheepshead have really turned on in the last week because they are feeding heavily in anticipation of their spawning season. Bridges, dock pilings and rock piles near any opening into the gulf with good tidal flow nearby will produce many of these hard-fighting and great tasting fish. Try a variety of baits - pieces of shrimp, barnacles, small crabs and sand fleas - on a small, light wire circle hook. Although it is difficult to restrain yourself from setting the hook when you feel a bite, the key is to let the fish swim off and hook itself.

Dave Zalewski charters the Lucky Too out of Madeira Beach. Call (727) 397-8815.

[Last modified February 7, 2008, 19:15:05]