March came in like a lion at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers! Not the weather (which was beautiful) but instead the wide variety of species that were available to anglers on both fishing piers. Jack crevalle of many year classes absolutely invaded the piers this past week, and many fish over 10 lbs. were taken by visitors fishing artificial lures. Pompano joined in the jigging action as well, and although some fish were short of the legal length, many keepers were indeed bagged. Spanish and king mackerel both remain around the fishing piers in decent numbers, but some of the Spanish mackerel were not as large or plentiful as the past 10 days. Sheepshead are also around in good numbers, but the larger schools might indeed be working their way to the artificial reefs that line the Skyway Piers. Mangrove snapper continued on their “ahead of schedule” bite and many folks are already spotting tarpon and large sharks at the piers.
Jacks boiled the water as many sizes of fish wove their way through the spans of the Skyway Piers – especially along the approach sections from the tollbooth to dumpster areas. Some of the largest jacks were in the 10 lb. plus range and truly tested the lighter spinning tackle used by most jig fishermen in the shallows. These monstrous fish battle as hard (pound-for-pound) as nearly anything in the Gulf of Mexico. Gotcha lures, jigs, and spoons were all good lure choices. Some anglers enjoyed using top water or diving surface plugs for the visual nature of the strikes. Some jacks were in the 1 lb. – 2 lb. size range, and these fish can be nice-eating for folks who enjoy jacks, most notably by bleeding and sautéing in coconut milk or other island spices. In addition, there were some blue runners & ladyfish in the mix with these fish, and both species are favored for their own methods of fish cookery.
Pompano were in the mix this past week as well, and although some fish were short, visitors that enjoy the fight and taste of this fish were happy to perform the sorting! Banana-style swim jigs were the ticket in the artificial lure game and most jiggers used one or two teaser flies in a loop by the jig – or as a suspended dropper. The incoming tide was preferable as long as the water was not screaming into the bay. Jigs most often chosen ranged from 1/2 oz. to 3/4 oz. and some anglers went very light at the end of the tidal cycle to pick-up a few bonus fish. Anglers got a bunch of extra species on the jigs as well. Black sea bass, mangrove snapper, lane snapper, flounder, spotted seatrout, and remora were among the by-catch most reported by visitors.
King mackerel runs were common – especially at the end of the North Pier. Landings were less common, as many kings avoided even multiple-hook stinger rigs as they slashed through the presented baits. A mixture of presentations that ranged from set anchor rigs to simply free-lining with single octopus hooks on light hard wire were all productive. Spanish mackerel were around as well and were mostly taken on artificial lures like Gotcha lures, silver spoons, white nylon jigs, and mackerel trees. The Spanish mackerel bite was stronger for limits about 10 days ago, but visitors who put in the time took a half-dozen nice eating sized fish. There also were a few fish well into the 20+ size class that provided some ripping drags on light tackle and thicker fillets for folks that like to grill or broil their mackerel.
Mangrove snapper are well ahead of schedule and many visitors are approaching limits of fish in the 11″ to 12″ size class. Live or freshly-frozen shrimp were the best ticket to some nice mangos and the terminal tackle was simply a 1/0 black nickel circle hook, 25 lb. fluorocarbon leader, and a 1 oz. egg sinker rigged knocker-style. The pier and main bridge pilings were both productive, and the main bridge pilings were especially good at the middle portion of the incoming tide. When fishing the main bridge pilings, try to “bounce” your offering in between the pilings by starting with an accurate cast and using a lift-and-drop method with the tidal pull until you have positioned your bait. Mangrove snapper rank very high in fish eatery when compared to nearly any other fish in the Tampa Bay Estuary. They can be successfully prepared even by the most novice chefs by using just about any method of fish cookery.
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 24, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 17, 2018
- The Skyway, Paul Bristow - August 10, 2018
