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Captain's corner

By JAY MASTRY

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 30, 2000

With good numbers of kingfish being caught in the Panhandle, it's only a matter of time until it's our turn. Weather will dictate when they arrive, and those same conditions plus the bait supply will affect how long they stay once they are here.

Though a few widely scattered catches have been reported, don't look for the masses to show up until the water temperature dips to the 70s. While you wait, don't overlook bottom fishing those same areas that will be holding kings in a month or so. Mangrove snapper and grouper have been chewing most everything we've offered them, but seem partial to the white bait and sardines abundant on the flats.

On a recent trip to the "Short Jack," a large area of hard bottom in 40-45 feet where kingfish have been known to gather, we were kept busy soaking baits on the bottom. While we coaxed a few grouper to come out and play on our heavy tackle, action was faster and more furious on our lighter stuff. Scamp, cobia, black sea bass, flounder, barracuda and as many Key West grunts as we cared to clean worked their way up our chum line. Even mackerel preferred the deeper baits to the fly-lined ones.

Adding a piece of squid to your baited hook will help prevent bottom scavengers from knocking your bait off as soon as it hits bottom. Its tough hide will sometimes allow you a second chance, even if you miss the first bite.

Get those bait nets mended and start twisting wire, because there will be little time for that once our fall run of kingfish begins.

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

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