Captain’s Corner: Brent Gaskill

The Tampa Bay Times

Capt. Brent Gaskill
 
 
 

        The New Year rings in a whole new set of fishing opportunities.  One of my favorites as a kid was silver trout.  In the cooler months of January and February concentrations of these fish show up just off our beaches.  Areas north of John’s Pass have always been traditional hot spots but numbers have waned over the years possibly due to the beach renourishment projects that destroy habitat and the food source for many species. Coquinas, sand fleas, small shrimp, tiny crabs, and more all sustain a healthy eco-system that attracts popular fishing targets such as the silver trout and whiting.  The joy in catching silver trout is catching two at a time.  As a kid we all loved the tandem rigged jigs created by a local manufacturer.  Now we tie our own.  Plastic tails in pink or green are the usual go-to, but never overlook the old school white or yellow, as that’s all we had back in the day. Try drifting just off the swim buoys in depths of 12-to 16-feet with 14-feet being my magic number. Easterly breezes should assist in this process while concentrating on areas with numerous crab traps that may indicate natural hard bottom.