The Skyway, Paul Bristow

Plenty of anglers will be fishing in Florida for the first time as we reach the second major Summer travel holiday next week, and they certainly have a wide range of fishing options available at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers!  Spanish mackerel are on a fairly good bite for this time of the season and plenty of small king mackerel are adding to the fun & action.  Mangrove snapper were one of the most consistent bites of the week, with many anglers reporting a limit of keepers – especially after dark.  Snook & tarpon are hanging in the lights in the shallows, and these fighters are providing plenty of catch-and-release fun for visitors.  Gag grouper are feeding heavily, and while anglers are catching lots of short fish, the number of reported keepers remains on the rise.  Some very large cobia have been spotted & hooked in recent days as they navigated their way through pier pilings.  Many species of sharks are available for anglers looking for both light tackle fun and big game bites from a fixed structure.  Goliath grouper have also been on a great bite for those wanting a physical fishing experience.

Spanish mackerel seemed to be favoring the later afternoon hours and most fish remain feeding fairly deep.  However, the surface mackerel bite that occurs each year is showing more signs of materializing.  Look for the first few hours before and after the tide change, as anglers ready at these feeding windows were able to catch several nice fish in a short amount of time.  Start your mackerel search by casting lures like Gotcha plugs, silver spoons, or a popping fly or straw lure behind a bubble float.  In addition, fishing cut strip baits (like the belly portion of a scaled sardine or threadfin herring) on a long shank hook with several split-shot sinkers for depth control took not only mackerel this week, but also snapper, porgies, and even spotted seatrout at the piers.  Do not be surprised if the silver king crashes this cut bait party as well.

Snook and tarpon are lurking in the shadows of bridges & pilings, so it should come as no surprise that many fine fish are taken at the Skyway Piers almost all season long.   Occasionally, some big fish are taken on the artificial reefs that line the piers, but most fish are caught along the approach sections of each pier from the tollbooth to the dumpster areas.  Snook are closed to harvest in the Tampa Bay region at this time, but for anglers who simply enjoy the battle, snook are willing and available.  Nice fish can be taken on artificial lures right near the tollbooth areas all summer long.  Try a swim bait style tail fished on a 1/4 oz. to 3/8 oz. jig head.  Some truly massive snook are taken at the piers each year – often by anglers free-lining live ladyfish after dark in the shadow of the lights near the tollbooth.  This same method also produces plenty of tarpon.  Tarpon will also take some of the same jigs cast for snook.

Mangrove snapper have been on a top-notch bite for several weeks, but both the size & numbers of mangos still continues to rise as we reach the peak of their feeding season in the Tampa Bay Estuary.  Deploy freshly cut chunks of scaled sardines or threadfin herring in 1″ square blocks.  Fresh shrimp can be great as well, but should be avoided if pinfish are too abundant in a certain area because the snapper will not get a good shot at the bait.  Try 30 lb. fluorocarbon leader material and black nickel circle or octopus style hooks ranging from 1/0 to 3/0.  Always try to completely cover your hook when fishing snapper due to the wariness of this particular species.  Use the lightest weight that will hold bottom during a particular tide.  The amount of weight can easily vary over the course of several hours of fishing.

Although there are certainly monster sharks available in the mouth of Tampa Bay, light tackle shark fishing at the piers is a piece of Florida fun available & accessible to anglers of all skill levels & means.  Targeting blacktip, sharpnose, and bonnethead sharks on what essentially amounts to largemouth bass or catfish level outfits is an absolute blast and these fish are also nice eating in the deep-fryer or on the grill.  Use 15 lb. – 20 lb. monofilament or braided line, a chunk of freshly cut bait, and a light wire leader for these fish.  For bonnetheads in particular, you can use heavy monofilament leader and a nice-sized shrimp or pass crab.

The Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers are a great place to experience the excitement of saltwater fishing in a convenient & family friendly atmosphere.  The piers and all their facilities are open 365 days per year and 24 hours per day.  You can park where you want to fish – with restrooms and full service bait & tackle shops very often just a short distance away.  No fishing license is required on the piers and special access points are available for folks with disabilities.  Safe travels & good fishing to Floridians & visitors alike – a happy 4th of July to all.