Captain’s Corner: Larry Blue

There are several locations that almost always hold big king mackerel during early December. Getting to those late season kingfish is often subject to changes in the weather. Cold fronts usually make for sloppy sea conditions. but there are days following the storm when the seas are fairly calm. Seasoned anglers know that during cold fronts the fish will get hungry. And the kings will be eager to eat what ever they can find once the fronts’ pass. To cash in on that enthusiastic hunger, veteran anglers try to be where the kingfish might congregate after a storm. There are many old tried and true locations that that historically hold large fish. On the south side of Tampa Bay is Southwest Pass and was a favorite of legendary Capt. Gene Turner. Millions of gallons of water flush out of Tampa Bay between Anna Maria, Egmont Key and Fort Desoto.  The deep water there is known for harboring oversized king mackerel. There are other locations that hold some respectable sized kings. Off of St Pete Beach is “The Drop”, and from Blind Pass to Indian Rocks Beach there are several patches of hard bottom that hold bait and thereby hold the fish. Further north off Sand Key, just south of Clearwater Pass, is a large patch of hard bottom. This section of bottom is celebrated for where many tournament winning king mackerel have been found. At the Clearwater Sea Buoy, a 54 pound king was once tricked into taking a sardine. That resulted in a historic tournament win by a lady angler. North of Clearwater Pass, just beyond the famous pier, is “Mandalay” hard bottom. Any of these sites can be the hot spot of the day depending on the availability of baitfish. The kings might stick on a location for several days or even for weeks at time. But remember; kingfish have tails and are known to use them – regardless of your plans to the contrary. Migrating king mackerel can travel as much as 30 miles a day.

 Larry Blue charters the Niki Joe from Madeira Beach Marina. Call (727) 871-1058 or visit www.CaptainLarryBlue.com