Captain’s Corner: Tyson Wallerstein

The Tampa Bay Times

Last weekend’s cold front may have put off fishing for a couple days. But in the big picture it will only help to keep the great fishing we’ve had recently going for a bit longer.  

The kingfish bite offshore remains very good. Kingfish of all sizes are being caught as shallow as 20 feet of water. Hard bottom areas that are holding bait schools are where you’ll find the kingfish as long as the water is clean. Slow troll live threadfins, pilchards and blue runners around any bird activity and you should get bit.  

Spanish mackerel are thick in lower Tampa Bay. Anglers fishing the Skyway and Desoto fishing piers are loading up on mackerel right now. Live pilchards and threadfins free-lined with the tide work great as will a 3oz. Gotcha plug or trolling sinker/spoon combo.  

Tampa bay snook fishing heated up at the end of last week, the fish are more and more beginning to remain on the flats after a cold front passes through. Mid-morning low incoming tides have been best, look for the fish to be staged up off of the mangroves at the lower tides where they are much easier to target.  

Triple tail continue to move through the area. Scanning crab trap floats as your heading offshore or slow trolling will no doubt reveal a few fish. Those that have made more of an effort by covering lots of territory have been rewarded with more keeper sized fish. The minimum size for tripletail is 18 inches, which is a pretty big fish, so you may want to pass on the marginal sized fish in order to search out the big ones.  

Capt. Tyson Wallerstein
Flats Monster Inshore Fishing
(727) 692-5868
capt.tyson@hotmail.com
www.Flatsmonster.com