Sunday Sunday can't trust that day, do you remember that song by the Mamas and the Papas? Today's reports starts with a weather report which is never a good sign. The winds were out of the North a solid 15 mph which turned the redfish flats into a soupy mess. Even in my tower I could not see very far let alone spot redfish.
Adapting to the conditions is crucial for a successful outing. Find clear water and we would find trout, mackerel and other inshore species. The ICW Inter Costal Waterway offers plenty of protected waters and numerous grass flats in Tampa Bay region.
Mackerel use these waterways like highways especially areas with easy access to the Gulf of Mexico. I found an area loaded with glass minnows just off the main channel near Pass a Grille and like clockwork the mackerel were chasing lunch. I like to drop a chum bag to keep the Macks in the area as they often move in and out quickly. I also toss handfuls of live chum baits to keep things spiced up.
Live white baits on a 1/0 long shank hook on 30-40 pound leader is the simple set up. Today's bite was ok but not the non stop bite we had Saturday. The trout bite also slowed and the average size was half of the brutes we found the last week.
I heard several reports of mackerel along the beaches in big numbers along with several reports of Kingfish taken from local piers.
Captain Steven Markovich]
www.onthemarkcharters.com
