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Bottom fishing is good

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 18, 2009

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

Offshore fishing continues to be good. I made a bottom fishing trip to 95 feet of water west of Boca Grande with captain Robbie Hehenberger last week and found the fish to be very hungry.

We caught our limit of red grouper in the 10- to 15-pound class and vented and released at least twice that many of the same size along with many undersized red grouper.

We also caught seven keeper gag grouper, three keeper scamp and our limit of big mangrove snapper, along with many undersized of each species that were vented and released. A free-lined cigar minnow deployed while we were anchored fooled three kingfish, the biggest of which weighed 22 pounds.

Live cigar minnows was the top bait for numbers of fish. A 6-ounce white bucktail jig with a dead Spanish sardine or big hunk of squid caught the biggest of every species. We also used a frozen chum bag and small cut pieces of white bait to lure the snapper up from the bottom so we could catch them on light spinning tackle.

This cold front should push more kingfish our way. When the water calms down, look to markers 7-8 and 5-6 in the Egmont ship channel and artificial reefs as the most likely spots to find kings. Bait will move to clear water structure like reefs and the ship channel in bad weather and the kings will follow. But, if the water isn't clear, the kings aren't near.

Captain Billy Miller guided John Moors and friends to double digit limits of redfish, trout and few snook in The Tampa Chamber of Commerce Fishing Tournament last week. The Culbreath Flats and Weedon Island were the hot spots and medium-size sardines the best bait.

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.

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