Captain's Report - March/April, 2005

by Capt. Dave Mistretta

Already I have witnessed true signs of spring. A few days ago we managed to get out between all the nasty weather. Water temps started to creep up to the tolerable sixties, so I figured we could try some shallow water grouper digging. Once slowing down in 35 feet, a school of threadfin herring were spotted directly over my favorite under-cut. Past experiences have proved that springtime grouper will actually follow the schools of threadfin east ward. Sure enough as soon as the baits were dropped over the cave-like ledge, all rods doubled over. These weren't the same grouper we had been picking thru all winter. They were new arrivals from the deep. Healthy gags, all weighing at least 12 pounds. Ten fish were boated immediately and I stopped the fishing. The rest will be saved for the next charter. The weight of these 10 grouper was an impressive 130 pounds.

March is the most transitional month of the year. We experience longer daylight hours combined with cold fronts lacking cold air. This results into more southerly winds, adding up to warmer conditions. Warmer conditions means warmer water temps, creating larger appetites. This activity will produce outstanding fishing by the end of this ever changing month.

Expect more action like this to trickle in with every day. The month of April will only intensify. Can you believe it, spring is finally here. Not only grouper, but pretty much all the fish species that Florida has to offer, will be available. As water temps go up so does the action. A few Spanish mackerel have been seen this past week. Another sign that spring is near. Spanish mackerel are normally the first to arrive.

Amber jacks will start to work closer to shore from their deep water homes. Expect to see jacks on many of our wrecks as close in as 10 miles. The wrecks 20 to 40 miles out will hold greater numbers of ten to thirty pound fish. The closer wrecks like the Betty Rose, Ten Fathom wreck, Indian Shores reef , Rube Allen and the Veterans reef don't hold nearly as many jacks, but a few will be huge. We have landed jacks up to eighty pounds during this month in past years. A large lizard fish is probably the best bait you could ever put in front of their nose. Big jacks will grab the lizard fish repeatedly before actually eating it. Free-line the bait back for about ten seconds or until the line starts to rapidly peel off the spool, then put the reel in gear. A few cobias will be mixed in with the jacks, but the larger push of brown bombers will arrive in April. They will also be a larger version, averaging about forty pounds. Teasing a cobia is the best way to get their attention. We like to tail hook a pinfish or blue runner, then toss it in front of the cobias. Hold the line tight so that the hooked baitfish will thrash at the waters surface. This tactic almost always makes the cobia curious enough to come take a swipe at the frantic bait.

As water temps go up the migration of kingfish will invade our area this month. The big macks travel in large schools settling on many hard bottom spots for a few days at a time. The saying "here today, gone tomorrow" is perfectly suited for the kings at the beginning of the season. By the end of this month there will be kingfish on just about every rock in our area.

Many fish will stay thru May. The best way to locate kings in the early part of the season is trolling. Once the fish are located, live bait can be employed to intensify the action. As many as 500 kings can be in a single school, so be ready for some heated action once you found them.

Trolling will also offer a few more opportunities. Spanish mackerel and bonito will gladly join in on the attack of many surface trolled lures. Gag grouper will nail many of the deep trolled plugs or spoons intended for kingfish. Be sure to mark the spot on your GPS when a grouper hits. As mentioned earlier, there will most likely be more big fish huddled over the same rock ready to eat. Turning back around and repeatedly going over the structure will allow you to grab more fish.

Even the silver king makes an appearance by the end of this month. Tarpon can be found around the Skyway Bridge. These early arrivers are quite aggressive and will inhale a free-lined threadfin, pinfish or pumpkinseed (Atlantic bumper) around the bridge. The fish are huge, all averaging at least 100 pounds. Water temps will have to be nearing the 70 degree mark for this action to begin. For years this was one of the best kept secrets around. Many anglers would never think to wet a line for poons this early in the year. When we were kids, I can remember hooking over twenty tarpon in a single outing in late March. The old bridge was still there, allowing us to ride our bikes out to where the tarpon were schooling. This annual action has been consistent since then, which happened to be, in the 1970's. The south side of the skyway seems to hold the early arrivers a bit more. By boat, anglers can move with the fish as the work up and down the outskirts of the two spans. The fish will often settle a few hundred yards away from the concrete structures during the slower tides. Once the current begins to strengthen they will ease towards the bridges. The "cat is out of the bag now", so enjoy the action.

Captain's Report - March/April, 2005

by Capt. Dave Mistretta

Past Captain's Reports