Windy and cool mornings gave way to mild and calm afternoons this week at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers. Spanish mackerel made a return to the shallow approach sections of each pier during the warmest of the afternoon hours. Sheepshead continued to bite for anglers targeting this elusive porgy. Silver trout and whiting were gathered in good numbers at the end of the North Pier. Gag grouper were being taken this past week by anglers who enjoy the pursuit enough to not mind the catch-and-release season. Grunts & porgies of various types continued along the artificial reefs. Small specimens of sharpnose and bonnethead sharks were taken by anglers fishing cut bait or shrimp on the bottom.
As the water slowly warmed along the pier approach sections after each cold morning, Spanish mackerel turned on during the afternoon incoming tides. The beginning of the tide seemed to coincide with the warmest part of the day. These mackerel were feeding on young-of-the-year glass minnows – only about 1 ½ inches in length. Gulls gathered above the tiny baitfish fry just before the bite began, clueing anglers on the location of baitfish schools that are so hard to see due to their size. White nylon freshwater crappie jigs tied in tandem and fished on 10 lb. – 15 lb. fluorocarbon leaders were the top billing, and many anglers took two fish at a time on these rigs. Saltwater speck & shad rigs were also very effective, as were white pompano jigs bounced in the depths.
When mackerel turn on to small offerings at the piers, going to small artificial lures is the best choice. Small jigs, and even larger sabiki-style baitfish rigs or mackerel trees, will also perform well at this time. Fly fishermen on rivers & streams often say it is critical to “match the hatch” as far as copying terrestrials, and the same holds true for mackerel & baitfish at the piers. Catching and using these tiny glass minnows as natural offerings is simply too difficult. Many will get caught in the mesh of a castnet and tear apart upon extraction. When the gulls pick up an injured minnow, look at the size & appearance, and then choose an appropriately sized & colored lure.
Anglers fishing crabs & shrimp along both the pier & main bridge pilings found some nice sheepshead this past week. Some nice sheepies are also being found along the artificial reefs. It is now quite common to see small groups of 5 to 10 fish bunched together, but the largest spawning schools are likely still a few weeks away. Once you get groups of fish together, however, it often gives the angler a better shot at the fish they might not even see. If one fish seen working a piling will not go for an offering, sink your bait to the bottom right nearby. These fish are grouping up in anticipation of the spawn, and the odds of an unseen fish just a few feet from a spotted fish are greatly increased.
Silver trout and whiting seem to have taken up their usual winter residence at the end of the North Pier. When these fish school in the bait shop area to the end of the pier, they do not move too much, and thus are very susceptible to vertically jigging a sabiki-style baitfish rig tipped with squid. The #4 and 1/0 sizes are generally best because the larger hooks are easier to tip with strips of squid, but smaller sizes will take them as well. Use a 1 oz. to 2 oz. bell sinker and bounce the rig on the bottom. When whiting and silver trout are together, you can often get two species on one drop. Spanish mackerel will join around these schools if waters stay cool and move to a more nomadic existence as waters warm.
Small bonnethead and sharpnose sharks entertained some visitors from the Midwest who had never caught a shark. These guests were just fishing cuts of pinfish they had caught themselves on sabiki rigs. Some were also using freshly frozen shrimp. The action was good even in the cooler weather, perhaps because the keen sense of smell the sharks have enabled them to find baits in the murky & turbid waters. Use a scissor or bait knife to cut a 2 inch chunk of pinfish and fish the cut on a 1/0 to 3/0 hook with a short length of light wire or heavy fluorocarbon leader. Only use enough weight to sink the rig given the tidal conditions – sometimes this means no weight whatsoever. Often bonnethead and sharpnose sharks are spotted cruising the surface at the piers. Even if the cruising fish do not take, fish these same areas, because something is likely drawing in other sharks who might be cruising nearby.
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 24, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 17, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 10, 2018
