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Anglers Speed To Gag Limit Off Hudson

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BY NICK STUBBS

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

Published: January 6, 2009

Updated:

Offshore

A pair of Pasco anglers fishing 37 feet of water west of Hudson reported a quick limit on gag grouper to 26 inches. They were working a rocky bottom with live pinfish and dead bait. The bite was good enough that they were able to cull a couple of the smaller keepers they had landed, swapping them out for larger fish. The bite shows what depth the fish like right now, giving offshore anglers of just how far they are going to have to travel for keeper fish.

That doesn't mean there are no opportunities in shallower water. A good starting point might be 20 to 25 feet of water, saving the gas for the next outing. Dead bait works fine, but live pinfish, sardines or threadfins are hard to beat for fooling the larger fish.

Another tip for dead bait anglers is to use large chunks for large fish. One of the best big-fish baits is the head of a small grunt, or a whole sand perch. The smaller fish will have trouble swallowing the grunt head, leaving it to the bigger fish to tackle.

Tackle shop roundup

Salonika's Bait and Tackle, 727-849-6377: Grouper angler fishing between 25 and 50 feet of water off Pasco, which appears to be the depth range where keeper-sized fish are being found best. The outfall canal at the Anclote power plant has been producing some trout to 22 inches and a few reds to about 24 inches.

Dunedin Bait and Tackle, 727-736-3474: The southeast end of Hurricane Pass, along the rock jetty, was giving up some trout to 24 inches for anglers fishing live shrimp and jigs with soft plastic tails in root beer color. An angler fishing at the draw bridge on the east end of the Dunedin Causeway landed a 21-inch gag grouper on a live shrimp free-lined around the bridge pilings. The fish was just shy of legal size, but was a very large specimen for that species considering it was caught in inshore waters. Anglers fishing 35 to 40 feet of water west of Clearwater Pass reported taking a limit of gags to 28 inches. They used live pinfish and frozen sardines.

Dunedin Fishing Center, 727-738-5628: The spoil Islands of the Intracoastal Waterway from Dunedin to Howard Park have been producing trout to 22 inches. A majority of the fish have been running slot-size. Live shrimp and sardines under popping corks are producing best, though fair numbers of fish have been taken on jigs with root beer colored soft plastic tails. A few reds have been spotted in the shallows around the spoils, but not were caught. The whiting bite has been good along the Dunedin Causeway. Fish to 14 inches have been taking shrimp and Love's tandem-rigged jigs.

Pier 60, 727-462-6466: A number of trout have been taken at the pier after dark. Fish have been running in the slot size and oversized to a bout 23 inches. Live shrimp under floats have been working best, though some have been taken on jigs. Silver trout have been a good bet at the pier, with plenty of fish to 14 inches caught by angler dropping live and frozen shrimp.

Redington Long Pier, 727-391-9398: The bite has been a little slow overall, though anglers have been taking some sheepshead to 18 inches. The fish have been taking cut bait and small, live shrimp. Fiddler crabs have been producing, as well.

Nick Stubbs is founder and webmaster of Bitetracker.com, a fishing Web site specializing in daily fishing reports displayed on animated fish tracking charts.

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