Captain’s Corner: Mike Gore

The Tampa Bay Times

Hopefully May will bring us some relief from the constant high winds we have had most of April. The weather looks really nice for the first full week of May.

Fishing is phenomenal in Tampa Bay right now. May will allow you to target all your

favorite species. The Kingfish are around in good numbers. The Tarpon should start showing up in good numbers any time now. If you want to target Tarpon, I would start around the Skyway Bridge. You can pass the time waiting for a bite by catching Spanish

Mackerel. They will be everywhere in Tampa Bay.

Look for snook to start making their way toward the beaches for their summer spawn. They have been hitting scaled sardines really well. Bait should be pretty easy to get now that it has moved onto most grass flats.

With our really high tides, look for the Redfish to be deep in the mangroves. Either cast live bait up under the trees or try using a piece of cut bait and let it sit. If you don’t want to mess with the mangroves then fish the same area on low tide. The fish have to move out onto the flats.

If you have kids and are just looking to bend a pole, then target Spanish mackerel. They have invaded Tampa Bay and can be a lot of fun.

Capt. Mike Gore