Captain's corner

By DOUG HEMMER

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 5, 2000

July marks the start of "funky time." This is when fish change their diet from large baits to very small. This event occurs every year during the threadfin herring spawn and frustrates anglers who are not prepared to downsize.

Tarpon, snook, reds and trout will strike big baits, but if their area becomes infested with baby threadies, they will gorge on them. This is when you need to downsize tackle, line, hooks and bait.

Ultralight tackle and small, artificial imitations of 1/2-inch minnows work when trout are being finicky. A corked baby threadfin gets redfish feeding. Snook have been nailing small green-over-white flies and medium-size shrimp at night. When fishing the lights at night, you will see snook chasing and popping at baby threadfins and shrimp.

Shrimp are available at most bait shops, but you will need a very fine mesh cast net for catching baby threadfins. Ask your tackle dealer for help picking a cast net.

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

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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