Skyway Report: 8/26/2016

As visitors awaited signs of shorter days and cooler temperatures, some fish species seemed to be ahead of the curve at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers.  Spanish mackerel registered a second decent week after many slow & tough bites in the middle of the summer.  Jacks, blue runners and bluefish all seemed to join in a feeding frenzy of predators taking advantage of massive schools of small young-of-the-year sardines and herring.  Mangrove snapper continued on a good bite during both daytime and nighttime hours, and were joined by gag grouper and some large Key West grunts in adding to the variety.  Sharks of many sizes remain in great numbers around both fishing piers, and the tarpon bite seems to be improving in numbers, size and aggression.

Spanish mackerel remained on a solid bite near the end portion of both fishing piers over the past week.  The South Pier seemed to outpace the North Pier in mackerel numbers, but both piers produced some very nice mackerel catches.  Floating strip belly baits of scaled sardines or threadfin herring along with the afternoon outgoing tide was the best time & method.  Some anglers also used silver spoons, Gotcha lures and white nylon jigs with success.  Whenever deploying strip baits for mackerel using either a float or free-line method, the rod can often be anchored down and left with a medium-light drag setting.  Most mackerel will hook themselves, and this allows the seasoned angler to cast artificial lures in search of more aggressive fish.

Jack crevalle and blue runners added to the mackerel excitement for many anglers as these fighting members of the Jack Family of Fishes were mixed right in with many mackerel catches.  Smaller jack crevalle and blue runners can both be fine-eating species if bled upon catching and kept on ice.  The blue runner has a whiter & milder flesh than the crevalle, but both species can make for good table fare with a proper care & cleaning regiment.  The removal of the red lateral line can improve the taste of both species for anglers seeking a more mild flavor.

Key West grunts joined the bottom bite and delighted anglers who did not have enough mangrove snapper fillets (or a legal-size grouper) for the family fish fry.  Grunts of many types call the artificial reefs of the Skyway Piers home on a year-round basis, but the late summer and early fall periods can produce some monster red mouths!  The larger grunts will take the same cut scaled sardines or threadfin herring often fished for snapper.  They will also readily attack live or freshly-frozen shrimp fished in the same manner.  However, those who rightfully pursue large grunts because of their fantastic culinary qualities almost always have some squid strips in the mix.  Large grunts will dig at the reef just as avidly as snapper or grouper, but once they are on top, you can retrieve them quite quickly.  Keep your rod tip very high to avoid the large open red mouth from becoming a drag that works against your landing success.

Bluefish began to show in limited numbers this past week, working the same baitfish schools as ladyfish, especially in the overnight hours.  Bluefish sometimes await periods of feeding by other species (such as ladyfish, jacks or mackerel) and then attack the injured baitfish and/or pieces left behind.  Many folks truly enjoy bluefish as an ingredient in rich soups & chowders because of the firm & meaty texture of this species.  When frying, the flavor of bluefish can be improved by bleeding upon landing and removal of the red lateral line.  For recipes that call for a thick & rich fish broth, there is no need for bleeding or removal of the lateral line.