Captain's corner

By DAVE MISTRETTA

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 23, 2000

West winds hindered offshore action last week, forcing many captains to change their game plans.

My destination was 30 miles out, but I never made it that far. Two- to 4-foot seas combined with a large onshore groundswell made it a chore to travel any distance.

Instead, I fished the wrecks about 15 miles out and mixed it up with a little grouper digging. Barracuda could be hooked easily by slow-trolling cigar minnows. A few smoker kingfish also were hanging around these structures.

After an hour or so of light-tackling barracudas and kings I went to the bottom. This was a hit-or-miss deal at 70 feet. On some days there is a mixture of keeper and short-sized grouper, and on other days the undersized fish seem to be the only things biting. A mixture of dead and live bait seems to produce the steadiest action.

As soon as the weather allows, take the longer journey of 30-plus miles. The depth is about 100 feet and that seems to be the magic number. Cooler water temperatures of just a few degrees make the difference. Giant red grouper and a variety of snapper are working bait stacks that have settled on the limestone bottom.

- Dave Mistretta captains the Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call (727) 595-3276.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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