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Captain's Corner: This is best time of year for bay area fishing

 
Published May 13, 2018

It's the best time of year for fishing in the area. Tarpon can be targeted off of any of the bridges. The Gandy, Howard Frankland and Skyway are my top choices. While awaiting a tarpon strike, I kill time by dropping smaller baits for Spanish mackerel. Snook are already on the beaches. Fish are located in the swash channel formed from the waves crashing the beach. I like to cast my bait just short of the sand, then pull it back into the swash. Redfish are hanging around oyster bars on the extreme high tides in the afternoon. A small pinfish under a small float is my bait of choice. Trout continue to provide action in deeper grass flats. Bright, blue skies make it easy to find deeper grass. Look for dark areas in 3-5 feet of water and work the edges with a quarter-ounce grub-tail jig. Cobia have been roaming the flats on top of monster stingrays and spotted eagle rays looking for easy meals. When you see a huge ray, toss a pinfish around the ray. Cobia can come out of nowhere and strike. Blacktip sharks have been around sandbars outside of the gulf passes. Anchor on the edge of the channel and hang a chum block over the side.

Rob Gorta charters out of St. Petersburg. Call him at (727) 647-7606 or visit captainrobgorta.com.