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Best Bet For Keepers: Stay Close

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 15, 2008

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

The question was, how will the cool down we had last week affect fishing? Well, from most reports, it really didn't. With the exception of size, the kings are still around, just running a bit smaller. Grouper and amberjack are still chewing and snapper remain tough to come by.

From Anclote northward, the story remains the same: gags, gags and more gags. The hot bite continues to be in 45 to 75 feet of water. If you've got the numbers, the waters of Tarpon Springs and Hudson are the places to be.

Further to the south, from the Egmont Channel to Clearwater, the bite has been good, but you'll also find red grouper and scamp and the ratio of shorts to keepers is higher.

There are exceptions, as Arik Bergerman and John Smith found out. They teamed with Tommy Bulter and a couple of friends late last week and in 60 to 70 feet of water, they managed a limit of quality gags, a couple of amberjack and a real nice red grouper.

A Saturday trip to the pipeline in 110 to 115 feet of water produced a lot fish, just not the ones I was looking for. Hordes of hungry red snapper to 10 pounds devoured our bait on every stop. If you did get a bait past them, it was quickly inhaled by a small amberjack.

Should have listened to my own advice and stayed inside 80 feet.

Captain Randy Rochelle runs the Gotta Go out of St. Pete

and can be reached at

(727) 365-3218 or go to

93islandercharters.net.

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