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By GARY FOLDEN
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 7, 2001
The late summer hatch of small bait fish has spiced up in the Clearwater area. Millions of 1-inch fry have arrived and are drawing predators. Tiny thread herring, scaled sardines, Spanish sardines and glass minnows make up the majority of the bait schools.
Inshore, these schools will be found on almost every grass bed, bridge and the beaches. Trout, jacks and mackerel will be feeding heavily on these schools. One problem is these fish can easily fill themselves up and getting a bite may become difficult. If you find them on the feed though, they will strike almost anything offered to them provided it is small and somewhat resembles a 1 inch minnow.
Offshore these small school of bait tend to hang around buoys, natural and artificial reefs. They have drawn Spanish mackerel into the area that were not here two weeks ago. Diving birds will give away the location of the feeding fish. Try not to drive the boat into the school as this tends to set the fish down and scatter them.
Last week while catching mackerel around the schools of bait, there were dozens of black tip sharks in each of these pods of bait. The action was outstanding. I returned the next day with another charter to the same area and found nothing. Just a reminder fish are on the move.
-- Capt. Gary Folden charters out of Clearwater and can be reached at (727) 585-8544 or by e-mail at jcgfolden@mindspring.com.