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Captain's corner

By JAY MASTRY

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 8, 2001

Just when we thought it was safe to go back to light tackle, pack away the 4/0 reels and take the fighting belts off the boat, late-season tarpon continue to antagonize.

With water temperature still pushing 90 degrees, the bay full of bait and shad seemingly more abundant, many of these monster silver kings will hang around until conditions change.

Lighter-tackle enthusiasts and those interested in good eating won't have to travel far for mangrove snapper. Tuesday we outsmarted three dozen working the ledges and edges of the ships channel at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Small whitebait and 20-pound test line did the damage. We lost some bigger ones because of the lighter stuff, but we got more bites because of it.

Spend extra time gathering whitebait even if it requires anchoring and chumming them. This time of year, juvenile greenbacks and sardines may be more plentiful but aren't nearly as hearty and don't live well even in the best aerated live wells. Shrimp work okay but often fall prey to pesky pinfish and other bait thieves before the "mangos" have a chance.

On Thursday, we targeted mackerel. We worked them fishing in 26 feet of water over a structure south of the ships channel. Using 8- to 15-pound test line enticed most of our bites on monofiliment leaders with long-shanked hooks. More than 50 mackerel up to 3 pounds kept my party busy the last two hours of the outgoing tide.

- Jay Mastry charters Jaybird out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 321-2142.

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