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Captain's Corner: Offshore bonanza will only get better

 
Published Nov. 4, 2017

It's a great time for fishing offshore. Cooler water temperatures and a huge influx of bait will trigger a feeding frenzy in our near-shore waters. Mackerel have moved into the area and are feeding heavily on large schools of juvenile threadfin herring and glass minnows from the swim buoys right on the beach to the shallower artificial reefs around 10 miles offshore. There are many techniques for catching these toothy mackerel. First is trolling spoons and other artificial lures, at around 6-8 knots. Others include anchoring, chumming and deploying live baits. No matter which style of fishing you choose, all rigs should have a small trace of wire in front of the hook or lure, as these fish like most pelagic species have large sharp teeth and will cut through most mono rig. Kingfish are here, and the next cold front should push another huge amount of fish to this area. Areas such as the Drop Off of Blinds Pass, Redington hard-bottom, and the The Ditch will produce large fish in the next couple of weeks. Get to your desired location and if you see mackerel, that is what the kings will be feeding on, if threadfin are there then use them and so on. Grouper fishing is also heating up and will continue to do so for the next few months as the water temperatures fall into the 70s and trigger many of the fish offshore to move into the bait rich shallows from just north of John's Pass north to Bayport. Most ledges in depths as shallow as 20 feet will hold these fish.

Steve Papen charters out of Indian Shores and can be reached at (727) 642-3411 and fintasticinc.com.