It was a week of finding peak fish feeding periods at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers, as species seemed to take a signal from the intermittent tidal flows & passing storms in the Tampa Bay region.  Spanish mackerel were one example of a feeding-window bite, as these fish aggressively fed during mid-to-late afternoon periods right up until sunset.  Mangrove snapper were definitely on an after-sundown bite and many nighttime visitors caught all of their best fish underneath the lights.  Gag grouper remained on a good feed, but anglers continued to report large numbers of short fish versus keepers.  Funky Florida summertime aquatic visitors like barracuda & houndfish are commonly being spotted on the surface.  Tarpon were strong this week and some monster sharks are beginning to become a weekly occurrence at the piers.

Mangrove snapper were taken in good numbers, but with the days heating up & sunlight reigning down, the best fishing occurred after sundown.  Anglers seeking the largest mangos should focus on the hours around a tide change in the overnight hours and free-line a small live bait.  Daytime visitors that want some nice eating fish for a fish fry need not be concerned.  The bite on various types of grunts & porgies has been solid.  Key West grunts & spot tail porgies are the most common species being pulled from the artificial reefs.  Both fish are excellent eating and can be prepared using a wide variety of fish cookery methods, just like mangrove snapper.  Fishing the artificial reefs for snapper & porgies & grunts needs only simple terminal tackle rigging.  The first choice is live-bait-style versus knocker-rig style with the difference being that the knocker sinker slides right to the hook.  Use 20 lb. to 30 lb. fluorocarbon leader material and size 1/0 to 2/0 circle or octopus style black nickel hooks.  About 24″ of leader will allow a few break-offs and a swivel is used as a sinker stopper in the live bait approach.  The swivel at the start of the leader can also keep a knocker rig from spinning & twisting the line in the knocker rig.

Spanish mackerel remained deep and on an afternoon feed this past week as most fish were taken from the bait shop areas on out.  Despite baitfish schools surfacing regularly each day now, mackerel seem to be hanging deeper than in previous years.  This could be that much of the surface baitfish activity is from very large threadfin herring that are too big for all but trophy-sized Spanish mackerel.  When mackerel are deep, Gotcha lures & silver spoons fished behind a trolling weight will be a best bet because both lures can be fished deep.  With the spoon, you can either go from 2 oz. to 3 oz. – 4 oz. on the trolling weight or you can slow roll the spoon using a jigging motion on the rod.  The same jigging motion can be used to make a Gotcha lure probe the depths and split-shot sinkers can be added ahead of the Gotcha Lure for even more weight without much impact to the action.

When the mackerel bite slowed on artificial lures, some visitors did take a few nice fish by presenting natural baits like live sardines, live shrimp or cut strips of sardines or herring deeper in the water column.  Strip belly baits of scaled sardines or threadfin herring are great because of their wobble on a long shank hook.  Use a scissors for the best strip & the cut will look just like a white canoe.  Only hook the very end to ensure the most enticing action.  You can use floats to stay near the surface or split-shot sinkers to reach deeper in the water column.  Presenting strip belly baits can also yield a bonus species like a snapper, grouper, or cobia.

Some truly monstrous sharks are beginning to become commonplace at both piers in the nighttime hours.  A large tiger and lemon shark were caught this past week, with both fish being released according to FWC regulations.  Hammerhead & bull sharks are now nearly a nightly occurrence as both species not only follow tarpon schools as they migrate into Tampa Bay, but also prefer the waters of the estuary for rearing their young pups.  Bring heavy tackle, massive baits, and a crew of anglers to fight these beasts from a fixed structure.  Fish outgoing tides to increase your odds of actually taming a massive shark at the piers.  The closed side pier pilings on an incoming tide with a fish over 200 lbs. are not hospitable to anglers.  Many of the largest shark species are catch-and-release only, so consider fishing closer to the toll booth areas if you would like a picture of your trophy along the rock retaining walls prior to release.

Anglers were spotting some toothy visitors other than sharks cruising the surface at the piers this past week.  Both barracuda & houndfish were spotted and hooked over the past few days.  These truly sub-tropical species only visit Tampa Bay when waters are warm like they are becoming right now.  Both species are ultra-aggressive and put on a memorable fight.  Barracuda have bars, black spots, and a broad body & tail.  Houndfish look like a much larger & broader-billed version of our year round resident needlefish.  Both fish are great fighters and make for fantastic memories & menacing photographs of a catch that has a vampire-like smile.

Paul Bristow
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