Captain’s Corner: Brent Gaskill

The Tampa Bay Times

Capt. Brent Gaskill
 
 
 

        Fluctuating weather has kept both fish and fisherman guessing where to be.  For this reason, my method of operation has been to stay on the move until the fish have been located.  Residential docks have been my focus recently in an effort to hide from the wind.  Cooperative fish will generally show themselves quickly if they are present.  If I don’t find what I’m looking for within a few minutes I move on to the next spot.  Typically once you’ve found one fish, you’ve found several.  Live shrimp is my favored bait this time of year as many of our local species are honing in on crustaceans.  Fiddler crabs, oysters, and even barnacles threaded onto the hook also work well.  The downside of using shrimp has been the nibbling bait stealing pinfish that can also occupy these same locations.  Don’t be fooled however, the discerning angler can tell the difference between a pesky pinfish bite and the crafty bait stealing ways of the more desirable mangrove snapper or sheepshead.