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By DAVE MISTRETTA
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 15, 2000
Calm gulf waters allowed me to venture far from shore. What I've found is plenty of red grouper at the 30-mile mark. This distant fishing area has much less pressure from local anglers, allowing limits to be met much easier than shallower depths. Work the edges of the sand dunes and the limestone bottom, keeping a close eye on the sonar. Once you've found even the smallest show of fish, circle the boat around to locate a larger concentration. Reds often will travel in schools while searching for food. A few fish recorded on the monitor could mean many more are close by.
Loggerhead turtles also can help you find great spots. This past week I was traveling at high speed, heading for areas that have been producing pretty well. About 3 miles from the destined coordinates, a huge loggerhead was sunning herself at the surface. Knowing that these reptiles live near hard bottom, I quickly threw a marker jug and circled back. I found the home of the great turtle and a ledge holding numerous grouper, which added one more great spot to my log book.
Don't forget to throw a flatline off the back of the boat while digging for grouper. Many pelagics hover over the same rocky areas. Barracuda, dolphin, bonita and a few smoker kingfish have been hooked at these depths.
Dave Mistretta captains the Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call (727) 595-3276.