Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Daily fishing report

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 1, 2001

Cold fronts, like the one last weekend, are when big "gator" speckled trout come out. Yellowmouth trout from 4- to 6-pounds are likely as the front passes.

Wind can be a problem, but there isn't a better time for drifting the grass flats for trout. The stiff wind puts a nice ripple on the flats so the trout can't see as well, and it pushes the boat along. If the wind gets too strong, a sea anchor will slow you to the right speed.

Artificial baits like topwater or surface plugs, and light soft plastic body jigs are great for this technique. For the surface, a walking-the-dog action plug or one with propellers work well. Natural greenback colors work, as does the traditional red head with white body. Water coverage is the key to catching fish with plugs and with the heavy wind, it's easy to cast them long.

For using jigs, the lightest head possible is the key. Most trout hit a jig on the fall, so the longer the jig stays in the water column the better. Motor oil, strawberry and root beer colors work well, especially if they have red glitter. Add a small cigar float about 2 feet above the jig. Twitch the float with the rod tip to create a popping sound.

- Captain Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters in St. Petersburg, (727) 510-4376 or e-mail captrick@luckydawg.com

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright