Skyway Report, 9/30/2016

It is hard to believe we are entering the final quarter of 2016, and October is setting up to be a fantastic month for fishing at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers.  The bait situation is nothing short of phenomenal, with multiple size-classes of scaled sardines, pinfish, ladyfish, blue runners and threadfin herring currently gathered at the piers.  Spanish mackerel were excellent this past week, with anglers peppering plenty of 20″ plus fish into their limits.  Jack crevalle and pompano were around in catchable numbers as these species entertained jig fishing anglers along the piers.  Snook and spotted seatrout joined mangrove snapper along the rock walls and artificial reefs, and a few flounder were also reported by pier visitors.  Finally, some outstanding tarpon action was reported by anglers fishing the overnight hours on both piers.

Spanish mackerel action was found by anglers who sought out the best tides and baitfish activity at each fishing pier.  Scouting is crucial to finding the best mackerel action within each tidal cycle because baitfish will move along each pier span based upon water conditions and tidal flow.  Spanish mackerel will always seek the best predatory conditions in the same manner as the baitfish schools they feed upon seek microorganisms for sustenance.  One sure way to find mackerel action in the fall is to look for the birds because they have already done the surveillance work.  Time spent driving along each pier looking for baitfish & seabird activity is often time well spent when it comes to filling the cooler.

Casting fast-moving artificial lures like Gotcha plugs, silver spoons and striper poppers comprised the top tactics for mackerel over the past week.  Tandem nylon jig rigs and mackerel trees took less aggressive mackerel because of their slower and more deliberate cadence.  Medium-sized scaled sardines free-lined live on long shank hooks and fluorocarbon leader material took lots of mackerel this past week.  In the same manner, when the bite slowed, freshly cut belly strips of scaled sardines or threadfin herring were very productive.  Whether fishing artificial or natural baits, always switch to a presentation that allows mackerel more time to find and attack your offering whenever a hot bite slows down.  This will often catch an additional few fish when it seems like all the feeding activity has ended.

Mangrove snapper continue to be taken in great numbers along both the artificial reefs and pier & main bridge pilings.  Limits of snapper were common and plenty of fish were in the 12″ plus range.  Many mangos over 15″ were reported and plenty of even larger fish broke anglers off on the structure.  Medium-sized scaled sardines were fished both live and cut for most in pursuit of snapper.  Live or freshly frozen shrimp also performed well whenever pinfish could be avoided.  Some nice snook and spotted seatrout joined snapper catches, as did a few doormat-sized flounder in the 20″ size class.  Gag grouper were around in great numbers, but short fish were more common than legal fish in recent days.  Indeed, some grouper aficianados reported catching 10 or more short fish before tangling with a bruiser.  Casting large driving plugs can counter numbers of short fish because it is rare that fish less than 15″ attack the larger diving plugs.

Anglers visiting Florida often ask about the tarpon so commonly spotted at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers each fall.  Indeed, rolling and skyrocketing tarpon are a common late season sight each year at the piers.  Anglers seeking to hook the silver king  can do battle with one of Florida’s premier game fish without the luxury of a vessel.  Tarpon are around in excellent numbers at both fishing piers right now and these numbers will probably remain until the first serious cold front hits the Tampa Bay region.  Look for rolling fish around the tide change during the day and send them out a free-lined pinfish.  Find them in the shadow line of the pier lights after dark, and throw large live shrimp, sardines or herring into a tidal drift that runs by their nose.  Casting buck tail jigs in the shadow line is also deadly effective and an incredible amount of fun.