Jay Mastry

The Tampa Bay Times

With water temperatures still fluctuating in the low 60’s – shrimp, squid, pinfish and frozen sardines have been the most available baits for bottom fishing the gulf and bay.  Finally, though not yet plentiful we were able to scrape together enough whitebait for a successful mangrove snapper trip on our last outing at the mouth of Tampa Bay.  Until water temps rise nearer the magical 70 degree mark, gathering whitebait on most of our areas flats will likely remain hit or miss.  Last Saturday anchored on the edge of the ships channel between the Skyway Bridge and Egmont Key, we were encouraged by perhaps the largest school of whitebait we’ve ever seen.  Before the rains came and weather conditions completely deteriorated we heard them coming a hundred yards away.  The school was an acre around, turned the water black and took several minutes passing around our boat.  They get there too in the fall but the spring is when huge schools of bait work their way into Tampa Bay.  Many follow the channel all the way in and gang up around the markers that line it.  Others break off and roam throughout the bay.  They’ll wander through the Gandy Bridge then the Howard Franklin and up to the Courtney Campbell and beyond.  Soon tarpon, kingfish, mackerel and others will be in hot pursuit to take advantage of the easy pickin’s.  Get ready – spring fever’s contagious. 

Captain Jay Mastry