King mackerel made an early appearance at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers this past week, with plenty of runs and some big fish hitting the pavement! Spanish mackerel were not as consistent as last week, but numbers of fish are still being caught and many are very nice-sized specimens. Pompano began to show along the pier approach sections and were joined by fish like ladyfish and blue runners. Sheepshead remain on a great bite and many more mangrove snapper are being taken by anglers fishing live or freshly frozen shrimp. Tarpon have already made an appearance at both fishing piers, and have joined sharks & goliath grouper for anglers seeking a real pier battle.
As was discussed & forecast in prior reports, some early good news has occurred on the kingfish front. Many fish were spotted and hooked this past week and some nice fish were landed. Many kingfish landings are not reported – even if an angler is asked about a catch. Visitors expecting a long kingfish season in the Tampa Bay region can take solace in the fact that March & April are traditionally the best months. The forage base that large kings so favor – blue runners, ladyfish, jack crevalle, and juvenile Spanish mackerel – remain around both piers in good numbers. Pier fishing for kings often seems intimidating to newbie marine anglers, but the outfits and terminal tackle are all quite simple.
Free-lining blue runners with a short length of coffee-colored hard wire in the 25 lb. – 40 lb. class and a 3/0 black nickel octopus-style hook is very effective. Some anglers even use 50 lb. fluorocarbon leader with a 2/0 or 3/0 long shank hook. Stinger rigs are not as preferable for free-lining because the bait often dies with the pressure exerted from multiple hooks in conjunction with the tide. The next most popular kingfish method at the piers is the multiple rod ‘trolley’ system. Anglers intimidated by what appears to be a complex rigging system should abandon their concerns. The anchor rod only provides a line/point from which baits are sent out to the fighting rods. The anchor rod does nothing else and is often not even retrieved until an entire fishing session is complete. Use one (or several) shower curtain clips to outrigger/downrigger/clothespins to send short lines (12″ – 18″) down the anchor rod line with baits. The short attachment holds the line of the fighting rod (or rods) inline or slightly off the anchor rod. These baits can have multiple-hook stinger rigs because they are essentially stationary. The fighting rods are placed in rod holders, and when a kingfish strikes the line of a fighting rod, that line pulls free of the anchor rod.
Spanish mackerel were good once again this past week, but the days of last week’s full limit days were a tougher task. Mackerel trees with silver and gold mylar tubes were excellent when either cast or just vertically jigged. Spoons with silver, gold and white finishes fished behind a trolling sinker, bubble float or popping cork took plenty of the larger fish this past week. Gotcha lures were right there as well, and many anglers took fish on various styles of nylon jigs. Medium-sized scaled sardines were good baits for those seeking natural presentations around the piers this past week, and mackerel anglers fished them both live and cut with great success. Some large Spanish mackerel can even be taken after dark by free-lining live or cut strips of sardines with the tide. Do not be surprised if a nice mangrove snapper grabs a bait fished like this after sunset.
Pompano jiggers found some fish along the approach sections, and while many fish were short of legal, die-hard pomp fanatics were willing to cull these fine-tasting fish. As usual, banana-style pompano swim jigs with a teaser at the jig and/or above were the best option. White was a solid color choice this past week, but pink & chartreuse were both productive. Catching a half-dozen 9″ fish for release in order to get that 12″ or 14″ fish is actually quite enjoyable for anglers fishing light spinning tackle. The presence of jack crevalle, blue runners, mackerel, and ladyfish makes this near shore structure jigging even more exciting. Many of the world’s finest chefs rank Pompano among the best-eating fish available in any body of water.
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 24, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 17, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 10, 2018
