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Flounder, Pompano Are Back

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 23, 2008

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Mel Berman.

Flounder, decimated by the 2005 red tide, have reappeared in our waters. Some decent-sized "flatties" are now available along grassy pot holes, sandbars and the edges of passes. They appear to be especially fond of jigs or live shrimp worked slowly across the bottom.

Another remarkable story this winter is the good numbers of pompano. This sub-tropical species generally departs the area until late spring. But because of this year's toasty conditions, these acrobatic members of the jack family have decided to stick around.

The most reliable species this time of year has to be speckled trout. Working the no-motor zones with Neal Taylor, my co-speaker at the Tribune's Outdoors Expo next weekend, we paddled out to a sandbar off Dunedin Causeway, where we caught nice big specks on jigs.

Tarpon are never expected in our local waters until late April, but several silver kings apparently never left and are still seen along our Gulf shoreline, as well as near many of the big bridges.

Spanish mackerel, which also leave area waters during January, February and most of March, are all over the place - along the beaches, big bridges and inside the bay.

"I saw a huge acre of Spanish mackerel along the Tampa Bay South Shore," captain Marc Noe said. "And that was right after a cold front."

Hear "The Captain Mel Show" Saturdays from 6-9 a.m. on WFLA, 970 AM. Also, visit

"Fishing Florida OnLine

Magazine" at capmel.com.

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