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Gag Grouper Off Pasco Coast

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BY NICK STUBBS, MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

Published: October 17, 2007

Guide bites

Capt. Ed Peters, 727-862-3474: He is reporting a mix of gag grouper and some cobia and some large mangrove snapper. They also are landing the odd hog snapper, a difficult catch on hook and line. The action has been in 55 to 75 feet. The kings have not been making a showing off Pasco just yet, though it should not be much longer, as water temperatures are slowly dropping.

Tackle shop roundup

Clearwater Bait and Tackle, 727-669-5455: Angles fishing the small bridge on the western end of the Courtney Campbell Causeway have been finding a number of snook. Fish have been running small and keepers have been scarce. Live shrimp and topwater plugs around first light have been effective.

Masters' Bait and Tackle, 727-945-7191: John from the shop and a fishing buddy jumped three tarpon 70 to 90 pounds working live pinfish off the beach at Howard Park, in Tarpon Springs. They were using light tackle and were unable to land any of the fish. The pair teamed up again wading off Howard Park and at Sunset Beach, where they took a number of redfish 33 to 38 inches. They used live shrimp and cut finger mullet on the bottom, working bars and mangroves close to shore.

One Stop Bait and Tackle, 727-842-5610: Anglers fishing the flats just west of the Anclote power plant, in the Holiday area, have been taking trout to 22 inches. Live shrimp and Berkley Gulp Shrimp have been good baits. The shallows along the bars off Howard Park south to Crystal Beach have been good for reds. Fish are mixed, ranging from undersized to about 24 inches. Cut bait on the bottom has been a good bet. The north and south channels at Gulf Harbors have been producing some drum to 25 pounds. Fish are taking shrimp and cut bait well. Mackerel have been around marker No. 4 west of Gulf Harbors, with fish to 20 inches taking Clark's silver spoons and Gotcha Plugs. Live sardines have been working, as well. A boat working 30 to 40 feet of water west of Anclote Key took a few gag grouper 24 to 25 inches. In 50 feet they got a pair of legal red grouper. Live pinfish and cut sardines did the job. Anglers fishin the outfall canal at the Anclote power plant took some permit to 15 inches. Doc's Jigs in yellow and white with pink teasers and shrimp tippers did the work.

Pier 60, 727-462-6466: The snook bite has been good, with early morning and night the best times to fish. Fish have been running undersized, with all the larger fish hooked breaking off. Mackerel activity has picked up nicely, with fish to 20 inches taking shrimp, spoons and Gotcha Plugs. Bluefish are mixed with them, at times, and fish to 4 pounds have been landed. Good numbers of trout have been taken, though most have been too small to keep. The mangrove snapper bite is good, with plenty of fish to 13 inches being landed. Some oversized reds have been caught.

Redington Long Pier, 727-391-9398: The early morning bite has been good for reds and trout. Live sardines have been scoring keeper-sized trout and some large reds. A 40-inch kingfish was landed and there still are tarpon around. A fish estimated at 80 to 90 pounds was hooked and jumped several times before being lost. A good number of snook are being taken on live sardines and plugs. All the fish landed have been undersized, but the bigger fish are there, though difficult to land amidst the pilings. Mackerel fishing has been good, with lots of fish to 20 inches and some to 25.

Nick Stubbs is founder and Webmaster of href=http://www.bitetracker.com >Bitetracker.com, a Web site specializing in daily fishing reports displayed on animated fish tracking charts.

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