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By BRENT GASKILL
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 4, 2001
Never pass up feeding fish. Don't be afraid to change your original plan. And always be prepared for the unexpected.
Thursday morning, the program was to live-bait Spanish mackerel as they found our chum slick anchored over hard bottom. Crossing the bay on our way to the fishing grounds, we spotted a melee of diving birds and thrashing fish. Schools of mackerel gorged themselves on glass minnows and tiny thread herring. A switch to artificial baits was needed. Tying on white bucktail jigs, small silver spoons and slender chrome lures shaped like a pencil, we were immediately rewarded with multiple hook-ups. Reeling these artificials as fast as possible resulted in the most strikes. When the action slowed to more than two casts without a hit, they could be trolled back into a frenzy.
Idling within range on the edge of the commotion did not seem to spook the macks. Positioning the boat up-tide and drifting with the school kept the bite going.
We iced several mackerel to be eaten fresh, and we released four times as many. An hour and a half into our day and our arms were already tired.
Have you ever gotten tired of catching fish?
- Brent Gaskill charters the Summer Vacation. Call (727) 867-1751.