Captain’s Corner: Brent Gaskill

The Tampa Bay Times

Capt. Brent Gaskill
 
 
 

        My recent inshore trips have been varied; highlighting the many choices Tampa Bay offers anglers of all skill levels. One charter was run using artificial lures to target trout, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish.  We drifted down grassy edges of shallow flats where the bottom drops off to deeper water.  Once fish were located we experienced good action and would repeat the drift through the same area.  On another outing we used live shrimp to target sheepshead and mangrove snapper on deeper rock piles at the mouth of the bay.  The objective of this trip was to catch dinner.  Precise anchoring is critical in this situation to keep your baits on the structure where the fish are holding. Lastly, on my next trip we used live scaled sardines to target snook in the mangrove backcountry.  The full moon low tide was to our advantage as it brought the fish out of the tree roots to feed away from the sharp line-cutting obstacles.  We caught several snook on the live baits along with a few trout and a flounder.  Our largest snook of the day however, was landed using a fresh cut piece of ladyfish that was allowed to soak on the bottom at the base of the mangrove roots.