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Captain's Corner: Warm weather brings redfish onto flats

 
Tampa Bay Times
Published Feb. 8, 2012

Unusual weather: Warm weather lately is perplexing, with fishing situations changing rapidly and things seeming a bit out of whack. We may have an extended period of the annual spring fishing blitz.

What's hot: Redfish are moving back onto the flats as near or record high air temperatures seem to be the status quo. Reds will gobble live bait if possible, and can be captured on artificial baits as well. Look for them around large schools of mullet, preferably in the afternoon when it is the warmest.

Tips: Gray and rainy days are a great opportunity to service and repair fishing and outdoor gear. Service shops are slow now and from the looks of things, spring will be here rapidly if not already. ... It is easy to use boats for storage. Avoid this. Streamlining the preparedness factor will mean more time on the water.

Tradition: Typically, king mackerel are in our area around Easter and Thanksgiving. But some are being caught now. As spring approaches, kings will move far inside the Sunshine Skyway.

Dave Walker charters out of Tampa and can be reached at (813) 310-6531 or at www.snookfish.com