Recently I received an email from one such new arrival to our Florida Suncoast. He loves fishing and presented me with an array of questions that provoked answers which could be helpful and of interest to anyone who fishes in the Sunshine State..

Dear Captain Mel:

I am a newcomer to the Tampa Bay area, who did little fishing before moving
here. The extent was to go flounder fishing with killies as bait in the northeast.

I have a place on Longboat key, no boat, and would like to concentrate in the bay for trout, redfish and snook, and try my luck in the gulf for whatever is biting. I am not that concerned about being able to keep the fish because I intend to release what I catch. Accordingly, if you could help me with the following.

Q: The best time to fish- before, during or after the high tide. The same information on low tide.

A: Learning how to fish the tides is key to being a productive angler here on the Florida Suncoast. Rule one is, you will do best on any moving tide. The fish sit around on a dead tide. Then when it picks up and all kinds of goodies come floating by with the beginning of the tide, that’s when they feed the best. Thus, the beginning of each tide – incoming our outgoing – would be ideal. That is not to say that you won’t catch fish at other times – it’s just that the beginning of tides, is when they start to feed. Incidentally you can always check the tides using our free tides program at: http://www.capmel.com/tides.htm

Q:  The best bait to use -- Live-shrimp. Shiners, pinfish. Are dead sardines worthwhile using? When using live bait, should I cast and reel-in, or wait until I get a hit before moving the bait? Lures- the best kind to use and when should they be used in lieu of live bait?

A: Generally speaking, live baits work better than artificials during the warmer months and visa versa. They all catch fish. Frozen sardines work well when bottom fishing, but nowhere near as well as the live stuff for fishing the flats. Many, myself included, really prefer using artificials over the live stuff.  It’s a much more interesting fishing trip and can be very productive when using lures.

Q:  What fish bite during what months?

A:  Here in Florida, most fish will bite year ‘round. One simply has to be aware of their migration patterns to follow them. With warmer waters, they hang out front in the passes and around mangroves. In the cooler months most species either go offshore or migrate to the more temperate Back Bay and residential canal areas.

Tarpon will show up strong from spring through early summer, then go offshore to spawn, and return in late summer.  King mackerel runs occur in mid spring as the kings head north, and in fall as the kings head south.

Q:  Can fish be caught from any shore spot on the key or certain spots better
than others can? If the spot is important, where do you recommend I try, both on the bay and in the gulf?

A:  As for shore bound fishing around Longboat key, my very first choice would be to head for the beaches. There’s a trough a few yards off the beach, caused by tidal flow, which runs parallel to the shoreline. It becomes what we like to call a “fishy highway.” There are always some great fish traversing this trough, especially, snook, sheepshead, sea trout and many other species. These troughs are best fished near some kind of structure – rocks, jetties, pilings, etc. You should also check in with some of the local bait stores for some local information on which bridges are producing fish.

Q: How much weight, if any, should be used?
Any other suggestions you may have would be appreciated?

Thank you.

Mike Convey
----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mike:

A:  As for weights, the golden rule of fishing is -- use only a minimal amount of weight. Then it would only be to help you bait get down to the desired location. One of the biggest mistakes many anglers make is that they use too much lead.

Finally, the best and quickest way to learn how to fish our waters is to go with someone who is experienced. A couple of trips with one of our local guides (see our listings at: http://www.capmel.com/charters.htm) This way you can get hands on experience, learning with someone who knows where, when and how to find fish.