Captain's Report - March 6, 2004

by Capt. Dave Mistretta

March is the month of movement. Even the relentless cold fronts can't stop the entrance of our spring. Longer days combined with warming trends between the cold weather, has fish migrating our way.

Kingfish will be the main topic among fisherman during in the next few weeks. Each day will bring new pushes of kings from the southern waters. As many as 500 kings can be found in one of these migratory groups. Schools of bait are abundant just outside the ten mile reefs and are the first areas luring in some of these huge schools. Once they settle, the kingfish will be quite aggressive after their long journey from southern waters of the gulf. Anything with fins is considered good bait. Normally, the fifty foot mark is the first areas to attract these giant schools. The thirty foot depths is next, followed by the shallower spots. By the End of this month the giant macks will be at all depths.

Many anglers prefer to troll artificial when looking fore these spring-kings, so more ground can be covered. Once located, all the rods will get hit. Marking the spot with a Gps-plotter, then turning back will keep the action going strong.

Egmont channel is a hot spot during the spring months. Some big fish work the entire channel looking for food. The whistler buoy is the first buoy the ships come to when entering the bay. This is also a great place to start with the kings. Spanish sardines and cigar minnows are abundant near the buoys, allowing anglers to jig up baitfish and fish in the same area. Some of the bigger kings will leave the school and venture a ways up the bay in search of something to eat. The Skyway Bridge is a common "big fish spot" during mid March. Last spring, the channel leading to Port Manatee even produced some smoker kings during the big tourneys.

Along with the few big kings will be our early migration of the mighty silver king. Tarpon will be rolling along the Skyway bridge as soon as the water temps climb to seventy degrees. This first push of tarpon brings a larger version. Many of the fish will reach 170 plus pounds. I can remember in past years, monitoring the water temps closely. As soon as the 70 degree mark hit the bridge pilings the tarpon would arrive. They are also quite hungry and will eat just about anything that wiggles too. My favorite springtime tarpon bait however, is the Atlantic bumper (often referred to as "pumpkinseeds"). These baits are abundant on the edges of the shadow lines, under the bridge. Their silver sides shine thru the water making them and easy target for the silver king.

Along the beaches expect to find the first migratory push of cobia. Any large piece of structure will attract these curious game fish. Many times in the spring, it's common to see ten cobias traveling in a group. Once the first fish is hooked, all the others will join in on the party. I like to have multiple rods rigged so I can pick out the biggest fish that follows their companion. Leaving the first cobia in the water will keep the entire school at your boat. A cobia has to be 36 inches from tip to tail. This makes it quite a task, trying to measure a marginal fish unharmed. A 32 inch cobia weighs about ten pounds. I recommend letting the close ones go, rather than maybe causing injury while trying to contain them. This will alleviate the frustration of trying to wrestle these brawny fish to the measuring stick.

Offshore grouper fishing can be a hit or miss deal during March. Closer to the end of the month and into April will bring better numbers to us. The bottom line: when the water temps reach the seventies it will all bust loose. Cross your fingers and hope for another week of weather like the one we have recently experienced. The water temps will rise quickly toward magical seventies. Appetites will be endless and all fishermen will look like heroes.

Captain's Report - March 6, 2004

by Capt. Dave Mistretta

Past Captain's Reports