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By DAVE MISTRETTA
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 23, 2001
These days I dream of ... cool northeast breezes, water temperatures in the magical 70s and endless appetites for all fish. Then, it's back to reality. Remaining to haunt us are the brutally hot days pounding the state. The fish aren't interested in much of anything, and to top it off, it hasn't really rained in our area for days.
There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel. The days that I dream of are six weeks away. Fishing experts might try to give an optimistic outlook on an August fishing trip, but let's face facts. The fish are sweltering hot, and too much work is required to make them bite.
What we need is a drastic change in weather patterns. It's a little early for a cool front, so some afternoon thunderstorms would be ideal. An erratic barometer and the temporary cooling of water caused by this type of unruly weather definitely would help the persistent angler score.
Instead of waiting for the weather to cooperate, there's another option. Fill the fuel tanks and travel extremely far into the gulf. Water temperatures aren't nearly as high as they are inshore, allowing more action.
Fishing about 50 miles out this week produced some hefty red and gag grouper. Also thrown in were a few large snapper, an occasional blackfin tuna and numerous small dolphin. Trips like these are something to be proud of until things get better.
-- Dave Mistretta captains the Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call (727) 595-3276, or e-mail sales@jawstoo.com.