Captain's Report - May 5, 2003
by Capt. Dave Mistretta
This is the month for offshore anglers to mix it up a bit. Kingfish, tuna, gag grouper, goliath grouper, bonito, barracuda and numerous others are there for the taking.
My daily routine of catching bait starts just before sunrise and is the most important part of the day. Massive schools of threadfin herring are along the bottom about 3 miles from shore. One throw with a 12-foot cast net fills the live wells, allowing you to get to the fish that much quicker.
A few kings and Spanish mackerel can be taken from the same area, but got farther offshore for better results. The artificial reefs at about the 10-mile mark hold lots of kingfish. In a few minutes, anglers can reach their limit (two per person) then target other species.
Throwing handfuls of threadfin overboard, called live bait chumming, gets the kings leaping out of the water. A few free baits are sacrificed, but fish respond with a feeding frenzy.
There also is one of the most overlooked game fish around these structures. Permit, averaging about 20 pounds, have been schooling at these locations for many weeks. Look for their tail fins barely breaking the surface, then cast small blue crabs.
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