Skyway Piers, Paul Bristow 8/5/2016

Afternoon thunderstorms and steamy days signaled the start of August at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers.  Fishing can be great at the piers during these ‘dog days’ of summer, but refining your presentation and picking good fishing windows becomes critical for the highest level of success.  Baitfish activity from a variety of species & year-classes remains very high.  Spanish mackerel were spotty, but the fish taken were very large, and anglers who enjoy these big macs found them well worth the time.  Mangrove snapper, gag grouper and grunts provided consistent action for anglers in pursuit of reef species.  Juvenile tarpon remain on a great bite, and some monster silver kings also seem to be returning to the piers.  Sharks of many species are very active, and anglers can pursue anything from light tackle specimens up to big game monsters.

Several questions about tides came up over the past week and It seems a short segment on tidal nomenclature might be helpful to some readers.  When a report mentions incoming tides at the piers, it means that the tide is filling Tampa Bay with a flow from the Gulf towards both St. Petersburg and Tampa.  When a report mentions outgoing tides at the piers, it means that the tide is emptying Tampa Bay with a flow from St. Petersburg and Tampa towards the Gulf.  Highs and lows are simply waypoints in this ongoing cycle – it is the actual periods of flow that are critical for anglers at the piers.  Outgoing tides are easiest for reef fishing at the piers because most of the accessible reefs are on the Gulf side.  Incoming tides are easiest for fishing main bridge pilings because the main bridge is on the bay side of both piers.

Baitfish schools of many varieties and year-classes remained around the piers, and this kept anglers seeking bait very happy.  Scaled sardines and threadfin herring provided the easiest live bait options for visitors.  There are some schools of very large threadfins around that can be used for whole or cut baits.  Threadfins can also be used live, but are much more difficult to keep alive than sardines.  Sardine size was all over the board this past week, ranging from small 1″ – 2″ ‘snapper nuggets’ to nice 3″ – 4″ multi-species free-line baits.  It does not matter if your net mesh ‘gills’ the smaller sardines, they can simply be kept on ice for snapper baits.  Pinfish and pigfish remain plentiful, and ladyfish are starting to show up with regularity during the overnight hours.

Snapper activity remains very good at the piers, with incoming tides in the hours of darkness producing both the most and largest mangos.  Many visitors arrive before sundown to procure their bait and rig some leaders.  Most of the best snapper anglers at the piers often have a dozen rigs already tied with a hook, leader and swivel.  Whenever a rig is lost, they simply slide a new sinker on the main line, tie on a rig and return to fishing.  Cut sardines, herring and shrimp were the best baits once again.  All fresh baits (including shrimp) can simply be kept on ice in a small cooler for snappers.  Most fish this past week were in the 11″ – 12″ range, but a few fish over 18″ were also reported.

Gag grouper continued on a solid bite and many legal fish have been taken on late afternoon outgoing tides that led almost up to sundown.  Pinfish and pigfish seemed to out produce other baits this past week, but large diving plugs also took plenty of gags.  The terminal tackle for free-lining is quite simple, and usually consists of about four feet of 80 lb. – 100 lb. leader ending with a 6/0 – 9/0 size hook.  Many anglers free-lining pinfish and pigfish for grouper were shocked when a tarpon engulfed their offering.  Juvenile tarpon have been on an excellent bite for many weeks now along the approach sections, but much larger fish seem to be returning to the piers as of late.  The larger fish appear very aggressive and are often spotted actively feeding near the surface.

Sharks continued to excite many visitors at the piers over the past week.  Visitors not accustomed to fishing the marine environment are often shocked to see a variety of sharks cruising the surface at the Skyway Piers.  Pier regulars & staff know this is a very common occurrence, but most still appreciate how graceful these creatures appear in the water.  Medium spinning gear with a light wire leader is all that is necessary for smaller shark species at the piers because most blacktip, sharpnose and bonnethead sharks taken are less than 10 lbs. in weight.  These fish are not only fun on light tackle, but also outstanding when prepared as steaks on the grill.