Fishing Around and ground Tampa Bay ~ LAWOK LEPAS

Fishing Around and ground Tampa Bay

1 - At Big Pier 60 in Clearwater, Spanish mackerel 16-20 inches have arrived this week, with decent catches. Also the usual whiting.

2 - At Madeira Beach, Spanish mackerel up to 24 inches starting to show off the beaches, reports Capt. Dane Karcher (727-647-6919) of John's Pass. Capt. Chris Wilks hooked macks every couple of minutes Wednesday trolling 1-6 miles out. No kingfish yet, but Karcher said Gulf temperature is 68 degrees, and next warming trend will likely kick off the season. Karcher "wrecking'' grunts up to 2 pounds and hog snapper in 40-50 feet, where he's also releasing gag grouper up to 28 inches with season closed.

3 - At John's Pass, Spanish mackerel off piers and within a mile of the beach, and silver trout solid from Indian Rocks to Redington Long Pier drifting white bucktails and Luv Lures in 15-18 feet. Sheepshead around docks on oysters and fiddler crabs.

4 - At Fort DeSoto Park, good week for slot redfish and trout on flats with artificials (Gulp! jerkbaits), reports Brent Howlett at Stone's Outhouse, with the area outproducing south shore of Tampa Bay and Terra Ceia. Spanish mackerel increasing by the week at Gulf and Bay piers and across channel at Egmont Key, where Capt. Jason Lineberger watched two 20-pound kingfish skyrocket this week.

5 - Around the Sunshine Skyway and lower Tampa Bay, Capt. Shawn Crawford of Lakeland (941-747-3856) said his anglers "clobbered the fish'' Wednesday, with limits of large trout and three over 20 inches up to 26 inches on live select shrimp. Key is having large, active shrimp, Crawford said. They also released a handful of redfish under slot and sheepshead up to 18 inches on flats before heading out to the beach for limits of Spanish mackerel. First signs of tarpon rolling around the Skyway, even though it's early.

6 - At Anna Maria, Spanish mackerel up to 25-26 inches were thick tight to beach from Anna Maria to Longboat Key on Wednesday, said Capt. Shawn Crawford. His anglers wore the macks out on Wahoo Fishing Excitement jigs ( 1/4-ounce silver/white and silver/chartreuse) on 13-pound-test AFW Surflon Micro Supreme nylon-coated stainless steel leaders, a combo than was better than spoons. Redfish and trout fair to good on artificials (Gulp!, D.O.A. Shrimp) on flats in Sarasota Bay.

7 - At St. Petersburg, Capt. Jason Lineberger reports "tons'' of huge black drum, including a "gnarly'' 73-pounder this week. Lineberger working jigs around oyster bars north of Skyway, and said most of the drum are 30-50 pounds. Meisner Bridge and Clam Bar have been hot spots for black drum, and there's a lot of boats pounding them with Berkley Gulp! crabs and jerkbaits. Redfish "on fire'' with Weedon Island holding a school of slot reds that prefer Gulp! Shrimp (molting, new penny). Another school of reds on flats at Fourth Street, where Lineberger said they've been heavily pressured, "but when they eat, they eat'' topwater plugs, creek chubs and large sardines, and D.O.A. Terror Eyez (gold flake) on higher tides. Trout abundant, but mostly 15-17 inches and none over 20. Lineberger said Spanish mackerel around Skyway mostly smaller, but bigger on beaches.

8 - In the north end of Tampa Bay, solid action for redfish and trout on flats around Rocky Creek and Double Branch, reports Brent Howlett. Sheepshead around Courtney Campbell fenders and pilings on shrimp, oysters and fiddler crabs
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