The fireworks did not end on the 4th of July at the mouth of Tampa Bay as many prime summer species came on strong at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers. Mangrove snapper were the highlight reel as these fish went from anglers catching one or two keepers to some limits being taken in about an hour of fishing. Lane snapper, Key West grunts and assorted porgies continued to add to the options of visitors filling a cooler for a family fish fry. Spanish mackerel remained difficult and only gave up solid catches to the most experienced mackerel hunters fishing the best times & tides. Sharks of many varieties – ranging from small to monstrous sizes – entertained visitors of all backgrounds & fishing experience levels. Large gafftopsail catfish entertained shark anglers when the toothy critters were not biting and many visitors inquired about the food value of this common Tampa Bay resident. Gag grouper remained on a strong bite and Goliath grouper provided sore arms & backs for big game anglers seeking an adrenaline rush!
Mangrove snapper started this season in a spectacular fashion and then somewhat faded into catches of only several fish or a hard fought limit. That has changed dramatically over the past few weeks, as limits for mango hunters are now more the norm than the exception. Freshly-iced cut chunks of scaled sardines were by far the best option this past week, but live or freshly-frozen shrimp performed well when pinfish could be avoided. Scaled sardines are generally superior to threadfin herring because their flesh is much more firm and allows a longer time for the angler to detect snapper bites before the bait is removed from the hook. When snapper are aggressive (as they were this past week) it is tough to beat a fresh chunk of scaled sardine cut with a bait shears to about 1″ square. There are times, however, when the oily flesh of the threadfin herring acts like a type of chum to attract snapper and make them more aggressive. This is especially true when snapper are in a neutral to negative feeding mode. Shrimp (live or freshly-frozen) are excellent options as well, but if there are too many pinfish around, the snapper might never even see your offering!
Lane snapper, Key West grunts and spot-tail porgies continued to join with mangrove snapper for anglers fishing the artificial reefs and bridge pilings. The largest lanes, grunts and porgies are often taken by mangrove snapper anglers using cut chunk baits of sardines or herring, but smaller grunts, porgies and lanes can be used as alternate species to help fill up a cooler when a family is planning a summer fish fry. While the larger specimens might take the same baits intended for mangrove snapper, a change to smaller hooks and strips of squid often fills the cooler much more quickly and is an easier way to teach young kids to fish. Go with whole freshly-frozen squid (like those sold in the pier bait shops or fish markets) and use a bait knife or scissors to cut strips out of the main mantle of the squid. Use a Size #4 up to a Size 1/0 black nickel bait-holder style of hook and about 1 1/2 oz. of weight. Thread the squid strip on about 3 times, but still leave a small 1″ trailing strip that flutters beyond the hook itself. Not only will you attract more bites on the reef as this strip flutters in the tide, but you might also hook a mackerel or other pelagic species anytime you reel the strip in to the pier off of the reef!
The piers have welcomed many visitors from the Midwest over the past few weeks and most that are new to marine angling want to catch their first shark – especially the younger kids. I believe it is safe to say that the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers have produced more first-time shark catches for young anglers than any other destination in the world. Light tackle shark fishing at the piers could not be simpler… Light wire leaders accompanied by 2/0 – 4/0 hooks and as little weight as possible… Add only a fresh cut chunk of pinfish, grunt, herring, sardine or mullet to be in the toothy-critter business! Freshwater bass & catfish tackle is ideal and expect to catch plenty of sea & gafftopsail catfish when light tackle shark fishing at the piers. Many visitors over the past several weeks have inquired about the habits and edibility of both species.
Sea and gafftopsail catfish are both incredibly common catches in the Tampa Bay Estuary and thus at the Skyway Piers. They are both silver in color and slick in texture & appearance, but that is where the similarities end! Gafftopsails are predators that will take bottom baits if available while sea catfish are bottom-feeders that will predate if necessary. Sail cats readily strike jigs and other artificial lures, grow much larger than sea cats and have a distinctive high-arching dorsal fin. Sea cats are often called ‘hard heads’ and look much like a freshwater channel catfish without spots. The edibility of each species to those who have sampled both (your author) is quite dramatic. I would rate the sea catfish only as ‘edible’ and not much higher on that scale. The sail catfish can be excellent eating when filleted from the back of the ribs to the tail – leaving out the large (often-bloated) belly portion by using the ending rib (almost always visible on this species) as a fillet starting point. The nice tail section of meat will be totally boneless and perfect for frying in cornmeal with some Cajun seasoning or for any other favorite catfish recipe.
Gags are the main grouper attraction at the Skyway Piers, and deservedly so as the piers might be the best land-based location to land a legal gag in all of the United States. A much larger grouper, however, has a devoted & dedicated following at the piers and these monsters seem to really fire up during tide changes in the middle of the summer fishing season. Goliath grouper are the Florida monster of this Family of Fishes and simply love the numerous bridge pilings, reefs and shaded areas provided by the Skyway Piers. Goliath’s are generally lazy by nature – seeking slowly moving tides to mouth the largest baits in range of their huge mouths. Only the heaviest tackle can tame these fish from a fixed point and often the angler is more sore than the fish after the battle. Goliath grouper are currently protected from all harvest by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and anglers should keep acquainted with the most current rules & regulations covering this species.
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 24, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 17, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 10, 2018
