Skyway Report: 3/11/2016

Warm & windy weather dominated in the Tampa Bay region this past week, and anglers employed various techniques for such conditions with success at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers.  Windy weather can create cloudy water conditions at the piers, but anglers able to avoid the murkiness scored on Spanish mackerel each day.  Sheepshead continued to gather in spawning-sized aggregations and were feeding on a wide variety of baits being offered.  Pompano returned to the piers in catchable numbers this past week as well, and jigging anglers were able to mix in some pomps with their mackerel catches.  Finally, smaller sharks are becoming very regular catches at this time, and many visitors caught their first ever shark over the past week.

Baitfish activity continues to be on the rise, and anglers who found the cleanest & clearest water at the piers were able to catch both bait and Spanish mackerel with consistency.  Mudlines are very easy to spot while driving or walking along the piers, often appearing as coffee-colored areas that meet the blue or green surrounding waters.  Baitfish schools often try to hide in the murk, but do not favor staying in that area too long.  The mackerel (and other predators) will often hunt right on the edge of the mudline itself, so there is no need to move too far away from cloudy water.

White nylon freshwater style crappie jigs – fished either single or in tandem – remain one top early-season producer at the piers.  There are also commercially prepared ‘speck rigs’ that accomplish almost the same effect.  Anglers will use 1/8 oz. to 1/4 oz. jigs depending upon the tide & depth mackerel are holding.  Silver spoons fished behind a trolling sinker were very productive this past week as well, and spoons began to take a few small king mackerel that fell just short of meeting legal length requirements.  Freshly cut strip baits of scaled sardines deployed with only a long shark hook & split shot sinker also took plenty of mackerel.

Solid numbers of blacktip & sharnose sharks are being taken by anglers fishing for ‘toothy critters’ on both piers.  The overnight hours are best, and sharks can often be seen cruising along the shadow line created by the overhead lights.  Some nice sharks are being taken during the daylight hours as well.  Most fish at this time of the young season are in the 2 ft. – 3 ft. range, and this makes them perfect specimens for medium-light class spinning tackle.  Simply use a light wire leader with freshly cut pinfish, mullet or ladyfish.  If you use a species for bait that has a minimum size limit (but is otherwise legal to use as bait) these fish should always remain in whole condition.

Pompano have started to show on the approach sections of both fishing piers.  Anglers jig fishing for mackerel were the first to connect, but soon some pompano die-hards with swim jig & fly combination rigs got into the action.  Pompano will strike many natural & artificial baits, but a freshwater walleye-style swim jig machined with a quality saltwater hook in the 1/2 oz. to 3/4 oz. range is one of the finest baits to deploy at the piers.  Incoming tides seemed most productive this past week.