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Updated 3/31/08
Time To Put The Big Rods Back On The Boat
by Capt. Matt Mitchell
This week I saw at least one free-jumping tarpon every day I was
out.
Big sharks including blacktips and bull sharks could be found
around the schools of ladyfish located all over the middle
sound. Deeper flats from four to seven feet deep and deeper sand
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through shallow flats held lots of varieties of fish including
bluefish, pompano, Spanish mackerel and trout.
Migratory fish are arriving in large numbers
all around from the gulfside to sound., Its time to put the big rods
back on the boat! Sharks, tarpon and cobia are all moving in. I think if
conditions remain warm I should have my first tarpon of this season
soon, maybe even this week
Out-gunned with only light tackle onboard one day this week, we really
got taken to school by big sharks and cobia. One cobia hooked was 60-
pounds and after a 25-minute battle 11 times around the boat and five
times almost in the landing net, it finally broke off on a crab pot.
Cobia hit live baits drifted behind the boat and also soft plastic jigs
intended for trout and ladyfish. Rocky Channel was simply on fire with
one of the best cobia bites in the bay that I can remember.
Chunks of ladyfish freelined in the same places also resulted in
screaming runs and multiple break-offs on big sharks. Tying on a 12-inch
piece of hardwire leader and large circle hook to the 15-pound test
spinning outfits, we did manage a few four- to five-foot blacktips to
the boat.
The high water redfish bite remained consistent with shrimp being the
bait of choice. Small mangrove keys in the southern sound produced lots
of rat reds and a few more respectable fish up to 24 inches. These same
keys also held a some under-slot-size snook which ate live freelined
shiners.
Tripletail fishing has been heating up too. Finally some calm seas and
light winds allowed for the running of crab pots gulfside. I had reports
of tripletail up to 13 pounds caught south of the lighthouse and north
of Knapp's Point.
The standard way to fish these tasty fish is to run crab pot lines until
you see one laid up on the surface. A well presented, freelined live
shrimp will usually do the trick. Once you watch the tripletail eat the
bait, wait until he turns to go back to the buoy before setting the
hook.
Click the links below to view copies of my other recent reports.
03/03/2008
- 03/10/2008
- 03/17/2008
- 03/24/2008
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