The Tampa Bay Times
The air is cooling down as Fall approaches but there hasn’t been enough of a drop to make a major change to the offshore bottom water temperatures. The water temperatures are very slowly going down. Bottom temperature in depths from 40’ to 100’ are about 84 from the warmer 86 degrees from a couple weeks ago. The shorter days and small temperature movement down has got some area in the Gulf of Mexico starting to get hot for spearing. The deeper and more north areas, like the Florida Middle Grounds, have been producing good concentrations of gag groupers, red groupers, mangrove snappers and hogfish. It’s very important to note – Red Grouper season was closed early for 2021 by the federal regulators and red grouper season is now closed until the end of 2021. Some of the Hogfish have been large ones. Hogfish in the eastern Gulf of Mexico rarely show signs of breeding activity in September months, but as soon as early October rolls around, the big male hogfish hunt for viable females with utter disregard for personal safety. These bigger hogfish are easier to spot and stalk as they are pre-occupied looking for females. Gag groupers are holding steady under solid concentrations of bait. Most of the gags are being speared in the 10 to 15 pound range with some over 20 pounds. African Pompano are still being speared over wrecks and big ledges. Some in the 40 pound range were taken by last week by our divers.
- Jay Mastry - March 26, 2024
- Captains Corner, Gorta - March 23, 2024
- Dave Zalewski - March 12, 2024
