Captain’s Corner: Jay Mastry

The Tampa Bay Times

Having seen the gut wrenching photos and videos of the destruction and devastation our neighbors to the south have endured, fishing has seemed a bit less significant.  I can’t help but to think what could have been.  Fishing and breathing salt air has always been therapeutic for me.  And it will again.  For now I feel extremely blessed to still have my livelihood, my boat to fish in and a house to come home to.  I truly feel for those that don’t.  Bait in our area has recovered quicker than I would have imagined.  We easily cast-netted all we wanted Friday morning on what I call the Coffee Pot flats.  Whitebait that we’ve recently had to anchor and chum could be seen “raining” on the surface allowing us to just pull up and throw.  We won’t let this current full moon go by without yanking on a bunch of mangrove snapper along the rocky edges of the ships channel in Tampa Bay .  Be aware that mid-tides will be extremely strong making it nearly impossible to effectively keep baits on the bottom.  Fishing the slower tides surrounding the changes will likely be more productive.  We’ve always done best when we can reasonably stay down with a two ounce sinker.  With water temperature creeping down to where they like it, look for kingfish to make their presence felt.  Soon there will be kingfish tournaments nearly every weekend.  Now’s the time to get gear in order, start twisting wire for your stinger rigs and get those bait well pumps serviced.

Captain Jay Mastry