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Fish Tales
Storm season opener
By CAPT. TYSON WALLERSTEIN
Article published on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 |
Tropical storm Alberto is sure to bring some changes to the fishing conditions in our area. The inshore waters will be dirty for a few days and the offshore wave conditions will keep anglers in port, but after the water cleans up and the waves diminish we should experience some awesome fishing.
Offshore anglers should be able to capitalize on a great bite by this weekend. Big seas will congregate both grouper and snapper to large pieces of structure. Most of the best grouper fishing lately has been out beyond 120 feet. Due to the weather a lot of fish will move shallower so look for those deeper offshore wrecks like the Blackthorn or the Sheridan to be holding plenty of keeper gags.
Along with that the amberjack fishing has been solid and should be a no-brainer at the wrecks, as well.
Over the weekend full-moon snapper fishermen brought in banner catches of mangos and American reds coming from areas like the pipeline in about 100-feet of water on out including the Middle Grounds.
The inshore mangrove snapper bite is on as well. The inshore reefs of Tampa Bay and the Sunshine Skyway rock piles are holding plenty of good-sized snapper.
Cobia should be on everyone’s list as a possible target. Lots of cobes have been caught around the skyway and the ship channel buoys by anglers working first thing in the morning. Pitching a live bait in front of the cobe’s nose is seldom refused.
The beach-side snook bite is good and definitely getting hotter. Live baiters will do well chumming the fish with pilchards and free-lining baits with the current. Those using artificials will do better by getting out of the boat and silently stalking the wary snook. Many artificial baits will do well here, but slowly crawling a Berkley Gulp shrimp in front of their noses should definitely get them.
Tarpon fishing out on the beach has been as good as I’ve seen. Good weather (for the most part) has made the fishery pretty reliable over the past month. I don’t anticipate this storm will change that and it might even help.
Until next week – GET BENT!
Tyson Wallerstein can be reached at capt.tyson@hotmail.com. If you have a fish picture you would like to see published in the newspaper, send it with your name and where it was caught, to: “Fish Tales,” Tampa Bay Newspapers, 9911 Seminole Blvd., Seminole, FL 33772, or e-mail it to editorial@TBNweekly.com.
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Article published on Wednesday, June 14, 2006
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Tampa Bay Newspapers
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Seminole, FL 33772
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