I spoke with Larry at Mastery's Bait & Tackle Inc. in St Petersburg today. He was telling me that water temperatures have cooled slightly, huge schools of bait fish have shown up, and fishing has really turned on. Spanish mackerel have invaded the beaches from Pass-a-Grill, to the Clearwater hard bottom. Small silver spoons, Got-Cha Plugs, and small white bait, or what ever baitfish are in the area, are the best baits. Use 30lb leader or a short piece of wire to hold cut offs to a minimum. The early arrival of king mackerel is the big surprise this year. A few kingfish are being caught by anglers fishing for spanish mackerel in 20ft of water just off the beach. A lot of the kings are small, but a few in the 6lb - 20lb range are being taken. Most are being caught using light tackle and the same techniques used for spanish mackerel. If you suspect king mackerel are in the area, switch to heavier gear and suspend a blue runner under a balloon behind your boat. The Skyway Bridge Fishing Pier and the Gulf Pier at Fort DeSoto Park are great places to catch mackerel if you don't have a boat. Early morning, late afternoon, and two hours before until an hour after a tide change are the best times to fish these piers. Snook are starting to move off the beaches and into Tampa Bay. Good spots to look for snook now are the 'Clam Bar', which sits on the bay side of the Skyway Bridge Causeway between the Misner Bridge and the Bucnass Pass Bridge, Pinellas Point, the St Petersburg Pier, Coffee Pot Bayou, and Weedon Island. Small white bait and pinfish are the best baits for snook. Trout fishing is starting to get good. Look for trout on the grass flats of Pinellas Point and Fort DeSoto Park. Live shrimp, finger mullet, D.O.A. Deadly Combo, and Berkley Saltwater Shrimp in New Penny are the best baits. Redfish are every where. Look for them around docks, mangroves, oyster bars, and other structure, especially if it holds bait. Shrimp, gold spoons, and cut mullet or ladyfish are the best baits. For more information contact;
Mastry's Bait & Tackle Inc.
727-896-8889
1700 4th St South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
