Captain’s Corner: Jay Mastry

The Tampa Bay Times

With back to back cold fronts and often rough seas lately, land based anglers can at times, more comfortably get in on the action.  Operators at the Skyway Fishing Piers report an unusual number of keeper grouper hauled over the rails recently.  A variety of assorted sized kingfish have been landed on both the north and south ends by those properly rigged and targeting them.  Sheepshead have picked up the pace and are chewing shrimp along the structure on both sides along with a good bunch of black sea bass.  If bait has abandoned your favorite flats as it does when the water chills, there’s all you want at either end of the bridge.  Full grown greenbacks (threadfin herring) and smaller whitebait (scaled sardines or pilchards) can be cast netted and if convenient, worth the trip.  Looking to fire up the smoker?  Now is the time.  This is when mullet have gotten together in huge schools and are working their way to the gulf to spawn.  They’ll stage in different places before they decide to go.  You may find them in residential canals, in bayous, along rock jetties and even on the flats in certain areas.  They like to move on fronts, often when the weather is the worst.  Just before and after a tide change will sometimes inspire them to begin their push.  Feeling safer in numbers and focused on getting in the gulf, these tightly packed schools will let their guard down a bit allowing you to get closer and a little easier to cast net.  Nothing says you care to your family, friends and neighbors…. like a little tub of fresh fish spread and a sleeve of crackers to share for the holidays.

Captain Jay Mastry