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Inshore, Middle Bay Fishing Heats Up

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2007

Fishing continues to improve as the water temperature drops.

Capt. Danny Guarino reported a hot day of fishing for reds last week off Fort DeSoto Park - bringing more than 30 fish to the boat.

Later that week, he fished the south shores of Tampa Bay between Joe Island and Port Manatee and said he caught a little bit of everything, including snook, redfish and some short trout.

Despite the hot inshore fishing, the best bite is probably in the middle of the Bay, where huge schools of Spanish mackerel continue to ravage baitfish on the surface between the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the artificial reef at Bahia Beach.

They are hitting spoons, flies and natural baits. All that's needed is a 60-pound monofilament leader to minimize cut-offs. Wire leaders will work, but you will catch more fish if you use the mono. If you are going to keep the mackerel to eat, be sure to bring a cooler loaded with plenty of ice. Mackerel eat well, so long as you keep them cold from hook to table.

Capt. Larry Malinoski said the offshore beat was kept to a minimum because of wind for the past couple of weeks. He did say he had a reliable report of cobia stacked up on the Betty Rose wreck 12 miles off St. Petersburg.

Cobia should also start showing up on the flats soon.

On my last two outings, I spotted some on the range markers while looking for bait. Cobia will take just about anything you put in front of them this time of year - but plastic eels, crabs and pinfish are the standards.

Snook are continuing to stack up on the flats as they prepare to head to winter quarters. Those fish should be feeding heavily around sunrise and sunset, and when the tides move the most water.

Fred Everson is a Ruskin fishing guide. All South Shore fishermen and guides may submit information and photographs to be included in this column by calling (813) 830-8890 or sending an e-mail to ihuntsnook@aol.com.

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