A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from all of us at the Bait House. Since this is the first Thanksgiving I’ve ever had where I had a forum to let others know what I’m thankful for, I’d thought I’d just jot down a few words of thanks. I want to say thank you to: My wife Denise who let me talk her into selling our house in Minneapolis and everything we own (except my fishing rods) so I could move to Florida and live on a boat. My wife’s family, Lois, Kevin, Jay, Dawn, Ron, Taylor, and Hunter for making us feel so welcome here in Florida. My family back home who simply shrugged their shoulders and dismissed it as another one of my crazy ideas. Chuck and Sandy Pollick for letting me have a job, that’s not really a job but a passion, working in the Bait House and allowed me to write a column in the paper about what I like to do best. I can’t forget Mary at the Gazette who takes my rough drafts and makes them readable. Big Al and Bill (Duffy) for taking me in at the Bait House and putting up with all the changes and weird stuff I do. My neighbors and the owners of Barefoot Bay Resort who took us in and made us feel like we are a part of their community. All of the charter boat captains who are willing to share not only their fishing secrets but also their great stories about catches and the ones that got away. And most important, You the readers and anglers who have been emailing me with your fishing information, telling others about the column, or just stopping by the Bait House to simply say Hi. I thank you so much. Okay, I’ve made my peace for this Thanksgiving. Let’s talk fishing. We’ve had three cold fronts in seven days. Fishing has slowed down to a crawl. The fish are still there but we have to approach them very nimbly. Still fishing using live and cut baits seem to be working better than crank baits or trolling. Some good size sheephead are being caught around piers, docks, and bridges using sand fleas, live shrimp, or clams. Sea bass are being caught frequently around the edges of the sea grass, but they seem to be slow at hitting moving baits. Use a single drop line tipped with live shrimp or squid. We’ve heard of several people hitting some keeper size (22”) groupers mostly on rock piles or near docks using live greenback minnows and pinfish. Most of the groupers being caught are gags, but some reds are also showing up. Greenback minnows are getting harder to find lately but look for them near docks or piers where the water is getting direct sunlight. Seems the little guys like the warmth. You can always call Big Al, Duffy, or me at the Bait House for any questions or information you need to fish the area. Don’t forget we have dock access for your boat so you can pick up your bait, tackle, or snacks for your day of fishing. Thanks to all of you that email me at Jim2988@msn.com and 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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