Captain’s Corner: Jay Mastry

The Tampa Bay Times

Kingfish have arrived in our area and they have brought some big boys with them.  There was a 52 pounder caught from the Skyway Fishing Pier.  A 42 pound smoker won last weekends tournament in Madeira Beach.  I can’t recall hearing of more thirty plus pound fish being caught up and down our coast this early in our season.  Some have been landed along the many mile stretch of the Ships Channel.  There have been others caught in the 20 ft. depths along St. Pete Beach and Blind’s Pass.  The Clearwater and Redington hard bottoms are always a good bet to get in on some drag screaming action.  Nearshore Gulf waters have likely dirtied and the large bait schools may have scattered following this latest blow.  Bumping a bit offshore to find cleaner water may be necessary until inshore conditions improve.  An option could be the “parking lot” a fairly large area of scattered hard bottom in thirty some feet west of Blind’s Pass.  Bait will at times gang up there if it leaves the beach drawing the kingfish and mackerel to them.  Though this latest front may be inconvenient, it might be just what we need to extend our run.  When water temperature rises too quickly, kings will at times blow by us as they migrate to the north this time of year.  Reports of lots of kingfish down around Boca Grande suggests we have plenty coming our way.  Hopefully just in time for the Grandaddy kingfish event of them all…  The Old Salts “King of the Beach” kingfish tournament the end of this month.

Captain Jay Mastry