Warm winds from the South prevailed this week at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers, but some smoker king mackerel seemed to have no problem surfing the big waves in search of prey. Several kings were landed at each fishing pier over the past few days, and many other screaming runs (or fish lost at the rail) were reported. Some large Spanish mackerel were taken this past week as well, some on the kingfish rigs and others on lighter tackle presentations. Big jack crevalle are still hanging around the piers, as are some big bluefish & ladyfish when darkness falls. Mangrove snapper & various grunts remain on a consistent bite along the artificial reefs, and lots of short grouper continue to provide action for anglers.
King mackerel have been taken at the piers for several weeks now, but numbers increased at a high pace over the past several days. Fish counts might ultimately go higher at the peak of the Spring run, but plenty of kings are around for the taking. The upcoming minor weekend ‘cold front’ looks like it will bring even more waves and might provide an additional incentive to push more kings into Tampa Bay. These mammoth mackerel can actually be seen hunting in the waves – sometimes leaping from swell to swell or even skyrocketing into the air. Many visitors had Spanish mackerel sliced in half in front of their eyes as their older Mackerel Family brethren attacked already-hooked fish.
Anglers are deploying a mixture of either free-lined or set baits and many are using an anchor rod system. Free-lining is the easiest way to fish king mackerel at the piers, and involves setting out a live scaled sardine, threadfin herring or blue runner on a short length of single strand wire with either a single or stinger hook rig. The bait is simply allowed to swim out with the tide and should be changed whenever it becomes too weak. The anchor rod system involves one rod with a large and heavy bottom-grabbing sinker that serves as the anchor. This rod is simply cast out to grab & hold the bottom rather than fish. One (or even several) baits are then ‘sent down’ this anchor line at various lengths (and depths) with the use of sliding release clips. Anyone can make an economical version of the release with shower curtain hangers & clothespins. A fish strike pulls the bait from the clip and wholly onto the nearby fighting rod. Most anglers using this system also use stinger rigs, and many fish are hooked simply by the light pressure exerted by the release clip.
Mangrove snapper and grunts were taken in good numbers along the artificial reefs and amongst the pier and main bridge pilings. Live or freshly frozen shrimp were the top bait choice, but cut scaled sardines were also popular. Cut squid will often take grunts in great numbers, but the larger grunts seem to prefer cut fish pieces. Gag and red grouper continue to provide visitors with some colorful catch-and-release reef action.
Large ladyfish in the 4 lb. plus range were around the piers in good numbers this past week. These acrobatic fighters are not only an absolute blast to catch on light tackle, but they also provide a great bait option and even have excellent culinary qualities when cleaned properly. You can take ladyfish with a wide variety of artificial lure presentations such as top water plugs, spoons or jigs. Perhaps the best way to load up on ladies is to fish a cut belly strip from a scaled sardine or herring with a split-shot sinker or two for depth control. Ladyfish make great live or chunk bait for everything from tarpon to trout. If you enjoy making fish cakes or patties, freeze these fish for about an hour, fillet down the side and scrape the flesh away from the skin & bones with a spoon. The resulting boneless flesh is white, mild and fantastic when mixed with your favorite blend of bread crumbs & spices and deep-fried.
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 24, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 17, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 10, 2018
