Captain’s Corner: Jay Mastry

The Tampa Bay Times

Fog has always been my single, biggest concern when navigating on the water.  In fact, when it’s dense I won’t go.  It can become difficult enough driving on land.  With no lit buildings, street lights or any other ambient light, traveling on the water is compounded.  Following your trails or tracks on your GPS can be a big help but it won’t show floating objects or oncoming boats.  In heavy fog, running lights are of little help and even spot lights won’t cut through it.  As familiar as you may be with our surrounding waters it’s still easy to become disoriented.  If you do get socked in by heavy fog, slow down to increase your reaction time.  Listen for running engines, and have your crew help keep an eye out.  Keep your whistle or horn within reach.  Anchoring and waiting for it to lift is always an option.  The best bet is tune into your most trusted weather source before you go then plan accordingly.  Mangrove snapper are still chewing in 40 feet and beyond offshore and along the rocky edges of the ships channel inside Tampa Bay .  Sheepshead are showing up in increasing numbers and will get even better as they gather up and fatten up in preparation for their spawning ritual.  Coming off this full moon phase, we’ll deal with some extreme low tides in the mornings.  There is going to be skinny water on most of our flats if any at all.  Whitebait and pinfish have bumped out to a little deeper water but there are still plenty of them.  For the safest bet – go to your bait shop and snag some shrimp.

Captain Jay Mastry