Windy weather was the story at the mouth of Tampa Bay this past week, but many different species continued to bite at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers. Spanish mackerel remained on a good bite and continued the trend of feeding more heavily later in the day. Jack crevalle schools also continued to run along the piers and were sometimes joined by blue runners and ladyfish. Action from mangrove snapper and gag grouper was fast at times, but anglers had to catch numbers of short fish before icing a keeper. Some nice spotted seatrout were a bonus bycatch of anglers fishing the artificial reefs for snapper & grouper. Sharks of many sizes and species have remained active and a few pompano continue to be taken in the shallow approach sections to both piers.
Windy days at the Skyway Piers can produce very strong action from Spanish mackerel. Wind and waves often confuse baitfish schools and disrupt their swimming patterns allowing them to more easily picked-off by the speedier mackerel. Gotcha lures and spoons continued to be great producers. Gold spoons were particularly effective this week – perhaps because of the slightly stained water caused by winds. Visitors continued to use bubble floats and popping corks about 6 feet ahead of their lures to attract fish and gain casting distance. Some folks experimented with streamer flies and striper poppers behind a float as well and many had success using this method. Early and late in the day time periods were the best bites (regardless of tide) and the period right up until sundown remained the strongest.
Gag grouper were very aggressive, with many anglers landing 10 or more fish in an outing. Of course many of these fish were short of the legal length required and were released to fight again. Diving plugs and free-lined pinfish or blue runners were the top producers. Although most anglers fish the outgoing tide for gags at the piers because of the easier artificial reef access, it is important to note that reefs along the closed (bayside) portion of the piers get less fishing pressure and hold some giant fish. To target these reefs, look for a fairly strong incoming tide to pull your plug or live bait offering through the closed pier span and out to the bayside reefs. It takes a little bit more time and hook sets are trickier, but oftentimes these fish are much more aggressive. Indeed, some of the largest gags taken every season at the piers come from anglers willing to put in the extra time & effort required to fish these areas.
Sharks of a variety of sizes & species have been plentiful all year long and that trend has continued as we enter the fall. Several large bull, lemon and nurse sharks have been reported over the past week. Some visitors this past week asked about the landing, photographing and release of large sharks at the Skyway Piers. The best method is to fish the areas from around the dumpsters back towards the tollbooths on an outgoing tide. The larger fish are then slowly walked back towards the rock retaining walls at the base of the piers during the fight. Serious big game tackle is required and a fighting belt helps a great deal. In addition, having a group of anglers is critical when running down the pier and handing the rod & reel down to the base of the bridge. Some groups have a long tailing device that allows them to get a rope around the tail when landing time is near.
Much easier for beginners seeking to catch a shark at the piers is the pursuit of smaller species like blacktip, bonnethead and sharpnose sharks. The rod & reel outfits for this game are inexpensive and the terminal tackle required could not be simpler. The best way to approach this for those just getting started in saltwater fishing is to consider an outfit you might use for large bass or catfish in freshwater. Light wire leaders and hooks in the 3/0 – 5/0 size range are perfect and for bonnethead sharks you can often get away with 30 lb. fluorocarbon. Bait selection is also easy for these smaller sharks as they will feed on a wide variety of offerings. Freshly cut pinfish, sardines, herring, ladyfish or jacks are always a good option. Live or freshly frozen shrimp are particularly effective for bonnetheads. This simple fishing approach is one great way for parents to entertain their children at the piers. One other nice factor in pursuing these smaller species is that they do not have a length limit and this makes them a great option for cooking marinated shark steaks on the grill.
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 24, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 17, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 10, 2018
