Chilly and windy mornings started many days this past week at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers, but with a warming trend and lighter winds, the upcoming week signals some great multi-species fishing opportunities at the piers. Sheepshead were probably the top target this past week and some fine fish were taken along both fishing piers. The end of the North Pier saw a hot bite on both silver trout and whiting, with some other bonus species added to the mix. Some beautiful porgies and grunts were taken along the artificial reefs this past week, and catches included Key West grunts, jolthead porgies, spottail pinfish, and a variety of other reef dwellers that provide some nice eating options for visitors. Black sea bass were active this past week as well, and a number of visitors cashed in on these prime eating fish that seem to prefer cooler Tampa Bay temperatures. Finally, some anglers in pursuit of Spanish mackerel were able to find a few fish and entice them with small white jigs.
With each passing week, sheepshead will gather in greater aggregations along the entire mouth of the Tampa Bay Estuary, and the Skyway Piers are a prime location to target these tasty porgies. These fish will be full of eggs by mid-month and group up to spawn in the best numbers found during any given season. The best bites can extend well into March because not all fish will spawn at the exact same time. Live or freshly frozen shrimp and crabs continued as best baits, with a few anglers having success using barnacles and chumming with barnacle scrapings crushed in a bucket. Small and sharp hooks and just enough weight & leader strength to present baits and land fish will increase your odds of connecting with these notoriously fast biters. Either tidal cycle can be good because fish will simply reposition to the protected side of a piling or reef. The portion of the tide where the water is really ripping is most difficult because it makes it challenging to present the small baits that this species prefers. The fish will still feed, but getting a bait in front of them in really fast-moving water is quite tricky.
North Pier legend Big Mike McGrath reports a very strong bite on whiting and silver trout for folks using live shrimp. We are at the peak time frame to take these two species at the end of the piers, and the North Pier generally has a superior bite because of the greater depth & proximity to the shipping channel. Baits can be presented to these aggressive schooling species with a variety of simple rigs, ranging from traditional or tandem Gulf Coast bottom rigs, to larger multi-hook sabiki-style baitfish rigs. Having at least one hook near the bottom and another further up the rig can be an advantage because both species fire-up when they see their brethren feeding, often leading to multiple hook-ups. Big Mike also reported some catches of sheepshead, mangrove snapper and black sea bass along with the whiting and trout. Black sea bass are a species that can be specifically targeted and deserve a discussion in more detail during these peak months.
Black sea bass are primarily an eastern seaboard and northern Florida fish as far as the Skyway Piers are concerned, but cooler months bring these tasty treats south of their most dominant range. The piers often get good numbers of fish in the coolest months of the year, and of course, a few stragglers that hang around for the summer months. These fish are identified by their fairly flat head, mottled blackish coloration, sharp white teeth, and larger than average fins that include a rounded tail. This species feeds either right on or very near the bottom, so making bottom-contact is key for any presentation. Look for them most specifically in transition areas that have some hard bottom and some sand.
Artificial reefs that line the Skyway Piers have weathered and decayed over time, with pieces falling to the sandy bottom nearby, When you feel your rig fall off the actual reef structure and hit the mixed-composition bottom, this is a prime sea bass area. These fish do not get very large, and a 2 or 3 pound specimen would be a notable catch because most fish are in the 3/4 lb. to 1 1/2 pound size range. Black sea bass are aggressive enough to be taken on artificial lures like nylon jigs or banana-style pompano jigs. They can also be caught on a wide variety of natural baits, like squid, shrimp, or sardines. Black sea bass are among the finest-eating fish available on the Gulf Coast and can be prepared using almost any method of fish cookery.
Spanish mackerel were a tougher bite this past week than last, but signs from baitfish and clearing waters made the mackerel outlook good. Baitfish had been holding on or near the bottom at the piers until Thursday, when some schools started to raise-up and show themselves on the surface. Pelicans and gulls could be seen cruising patiently waiting for the bait to appear and attacking as soon as it surfaced. Some pier visitors caught mackerel from these rising schools and others caught fish probing the shallows that held small glass minnows. White nylon jigs continued as the best bait because baitfish size remains relatively small at this time. Most anglers that rode out the day caught only a few mackerel, but most also agreed that a good bite could be only a day away. Look for a mackerel return in greater numbers during this upcoming warmer weekend or next week.
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 24, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 17, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 10, 2018
