Fish Tales
The king is still here, at least for now
By CAPT. TYSON WALLERSTEIN
Article published on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007  |
Anglers have been pleasantly surprised at how good the king fishing and Spanish mackerel fishing have remained throughout these brief cruel downs we’ve been experiencing.
The long holiday weekend brought good reports of kingfish as close-in as Redington Long Pier and as far out as the south county artificial reef (about 10 miles). There is still an abundance of bait in our area and as long as it stays, so will the fish.
It’s hard to say just what the upcoming week will bring, with fronts passing by every five to seven days. There hasn’t been much in the way of a dramatic temperature drop.
If anything, the waters may have warmed up a little with that warm front that moved through last weekend. But I’m sure it won’t be long before the bait starts to thin out and, in turn, the kingfish and Spanish mackerel.
Sharp changes in the barometric pressure can drastically change fish feeding patterns. Fishing, in general, will slow down a bit right after a front and pick up again a couple of days later.
Now, there are exceptions to every rule and one species that seems to turn-on in foul weather is the trout. Windy, rainy overcast days provide the best trout fishing.
The key is to find clean moving water with a good amount of bait around.
As our waters continue to cool, more and more trout will move into our shallows and become the mainstay of inshore fishing.
With the season closed until Jan. 1, be careful when handling the fish to ensure a good release. Good places for trout right now would be the flats around Fort DeSoto and Pinellas Point.
Flounder, a wintertime favorite, are beginning to show up in a few areas.
Anglers specifically targeting the flatfish prefer to fish small live baits on a jig head.
Finger mullet, mud minnows and pilchards all make good bait.
Target docks and sea walls near the passes.
Flounder are ambush feeders and prefer areas with good current flow to bring them dinner.
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 Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007
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