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Anglers Finding The Right Spots

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 17, 2008

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

Paul Steele and crew, fishing off Hernando Beach in 45 feet of water, landed 30 keeper gag grouper in the 12- to 20-pound range. All fish were caught on dead sardines and squid. A dozen big black sea bass also were caught.

Captains Jim Bradley and Eric Coppin have been limiting out on keeper gag grouper in 12 feet of water off Weeki Wachee. Bradley and Coppin were using dead shad and chumming the rock piles.

The Hillsborough River near downtown has been producing good speckled trout action. Live shrimp or soft plastics fished along the docks and dropoffs has been the best baits. A few small reds and snook also have been caught.

Trout, redfish and snook were tearing it up in the Little Manatee River and Apollo Beach canals before the last cold front. Captain Art Paiva says white bait (when available) and live shrimp fished along the bottom on a moving tide were the secret to success.

The "Hooked on Fishing" crew fished last week with captain Sandy Melvin in Boca Grande. Extreme low tides had redfish tailing on the grass flats. The reds were extremely spooky, and sight-casting strikes were few and far between. Staking out near a sand hole and soaking a live shrimp or Gulp bait in the hole produced five reds and a big trout.

Captain Bill Miller hosts "Hooked on Fishing" on Thursdays and Sundays from 7-8 p.m., and Fridays and Mondays from 11 a.m.-noon on Bright House Networks Catch 47.

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