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.
Mangrove snapper are barely off their spawn and already the reports are starting to pick up. As they come off their spawn the mangrove snapper will tend to spread back out, making them easier to find. While you may not get the numbers off each spot, you should run into them more frequently.
Received a couple of reports that said the mangos are chewing. The Middle Grounds are still producing good numbers of fish but again the average size seems to be down. A place where the average size seems to be up is Tampa Bay. Folks fishing around the Skyway and some of the rock piles along the channel have reported catching limits of mangos, with some exceeding 4 pounds. The gag grouper bite in the Bay also has picked up a bit, with most of the fish falling short of the 22-inch limit.
The bite inside of 80 feet has continued to improve but don't expect too much till those first strong fronts push through. Reports from the pipe have been poor with most saying the areas of bottom off the pipe have been more consistent.
Farther south, a bit north of Sarasota, expect to find a good mix of mangrove, red, yellowtail and lanes on ledges, rocks piles and wrecks in the 100- to 160-foot range. The deeper you fish, the more keeper grouper you'll find.
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