Just a short note of thanks to all of you anglers that have emailed me with your comments on the column or your insights as to where the fish are biting and on what. We relay your information daily to anglers so they have a successful day on the water. Where and When - I feel redundant telling you that the fishing has again been terrific this last week. The Spanish mackerels are running full tilt and have even showed up now on the Intracoastal waters. Most are being caught bobber fishing 4 ft. down using greenback minnows. Others are being hooked with small silver or gold spoons. Snook are still very active especially in the surf at night. Most are free-lining greenbacks casting out about 20 ft. from shore. We’ve seen many large redfish around the local piers but they are traveling in schools on top of the water. When they start feeding on the bottom, it will get exciting around here. Many anglers are telling us that as the water temperatures cool, the redfish will start actively feeding. Gray and mangrove snappers are hitting live shrimp in the sea grass along the shoreline. Sea trout are still very active in the later afternoons and early evenings using live and frozen shrimp. A recent visit down to Redington Long Pier saw big flounders caught on the bottom using live or dead minnows and shrimp. Dos and Don’ts - Each week we try to bring you information on how to rig lines, how to hook your bait, and how to present your bait to the fish. This week we are going to touch on a problem that we’ve seen all too many times by anglers. One of them includes me. A gentleman was shore fishing on the causeway this week using a PVC rod holder that has a metal bar that you push into the ground. After casting in his line, he placed the rod into the holder. He then decided to walk over to his cooler for a nice cold soda. He had left his rod unattended for only seconds when a large fish grabbed his line and pulled his rod and reel right into the depths of the Intracoastal waterway. He gave up a $90 rod and reel for that soda. These PVC rod holders are cheap and they work great if you use them correctly. When pushing the rod holder into the ground, make sure that it is straight up and down from the ground at a 90-degree angle, not tilted toward the water. This will make it much harder for the fish to pull your rod out of the holder. The same thing happens daily on our local piers. Anglers take time to get something out of their tackle boxes, talk to fellow anglers, or grab a cold drink and WHAM; there goes another rod and reel. I’m also guilty of this one. I had one of those expensive sodas. The key lesson here is always be attentive to your line. Always be right next to your rod holder on shore and hold your rod while pier fishing. If you need to get something or talk to someone, do it between casts. This will save you many swear words that you didn’t want to use and a lot of money spent replacing your gear. Stop by the Bait House with the photo of your big catch and we will give it a place of honor. You can email me at Jim2988@msn.com As always, Good Luck Out There!
Jim can be found daily at the Bait House - Clearwater Municipal Marina, phone 446-8134
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