TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

King mackerel moving in

ADVERTISEMENT

By BILL MILLER

Tribune correspondent

Published: November 7, 2009

Southerly migrating schools of king mackerel have finally moved into our area waters.

Good reports are coming from the hard bottom areas west of Clearwater, the artificial reefs along Madeira and St. Pete beaches, the Egmont ship channel and the Skyway fishing piers.

The only problem is as soon as the kings moved in, so did the high winds. As long as the wind stays in an easterly pattern a few kings can be found along the swim buoys and close-in stone crab trap lines.

The five-mile artificial reefs may be a possibility, but any further out than that will be very uncomfortable fishing. Earlier in the week captain Billy Miller guided Ashley Epperson to a 42-pound kingfish caught slow trolling a bluefish in the Egmont ship channel.

John Baldwin won The Pediatric Cancer Foundations Grand Slam Fishing Tournament by catching a snook, redfish and trout Grand Slam of 82 inches during the two-day event. Second was Jack Thompson. Both anglers, in Upper Tampa Bay, were guided by captain Jim Lemke.

Captain Eddie Harrington reports flounder fishing has been great at the Dubai Redington Pier.

Harrington says weighted white bait fished on the sandy pier bottom has been producing flounder to 6 pounds. A few kingfish have also been taken by anglers using blue runners, pumpkin seeds and mackerel.

Snook and trout have been the catch of the day for captain Jason Ramsey in the Bradenton area. Last week he found an area holding tarpon and was jumping five to 10 a day.

Captain Bill Miller hosts "Hooked on Fishing" on Bright House Sports Network, Channel 47. To book a charter with captain Bill or his son captain Billy, call (813) 363-9927.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT