The Tampa Bay Times
The off-shore wrecks are producing large schools of kingfish, other mackeral and other big fighters like cobia. Some large cobia have been speared on many of these large underwater structures. The bottom water temperature is between 73 and 74 degrees and starting with all the bait, all the bait chasers are in full swing. Some of our freedive spearfishermen have done very well hunting kingfish as they dart through bait pods over hard bottom areas and wrecks. Last week a 62 pound kingfish was speared while the big kingfish hunted for it’s dinner above the Fin Barge. Cobia are in almost all spots. Pretty soon, as the water warms up a little more and the northern migration moves on, we should start seeing cobia in the bays and in-shore areas. Amberjack season is open for May and some divers venture way off-shore to look for these fish. Most of the keeper sized amberjacks were at least 40 miles or more from shore. The larger ones were found on wrecks in 130’ to 190’ of water. Also in those depths, african pompanos have started to show up. Most are still south of Sarasota. Some in the 40 pound range were harvested last week by some of out divers over springs in the 170’ to 225’ depths. Chumming the african pompano will pull them toward your boat and if you don’t spook them away you slide in the water and find them from 20’ to 70’ down from the surface.
- Jay Mastry - March 26, 2024
- Captains Corner, Gorta - March 23, 2024
- Dave Zalewski - March 12, 2024
