Tampa & Pass-A-Grille Fishing Guide

As the water continues to heat up, so does the fishing. I spent a few hours both Saturday and Sunday hanging out at the Merry Pier in St. Pete Beach. Live shrimp was the bait of choice. The technique- tail hook a medium shrimp on a #2 Owner hook with a foot of 30″ flourocarbon leader and a 1/4 ounce weight, and drop down next to the pilings of the Pier. And I mean RIGHT next to the pilings- a foot or two away, and you’d get no action.

The bite consisted almost entirely of gag grouper and mangrove snapper (no snook around, although I did pull in a 20″ filefish). The snapper bite was the typical tap-tap-tap, while the grouper would announce their presence with a heavy ‘thud’. My friend Tim ventured down from Tampa on Sunday, and we probably caught 50+ fish between the two of us. The grouper ran to around 19″ (no keepers- yet), and the snapper were in the 8-12″ range. Plenty of keepers mixed in with the smaller fish. Pictured above was a fat 16″ mangrove snapper that I caught on Saturday.

Tarpon were rolling, although individually and not in schools. Lots of Mac’s were popping the clouds of glass minnows that hung by the dock, but they seemed oblivious to a freelined shrimp. Odd. A manatee family grazed by the pilings north of the pier. I had a report of a ‘true black’ grouper caught on the dock last week- very unusual for inshore, and much rarer than the occassional red grouper that I pull in. There were a few Jack Cravelle caught, but no big schools showing yet. Won’t be long, though…

It’s a great time of the year to be a Florida fisherman! The weather is fantastic, the water is clear, and the fish are biting. Fishing this weekend in St. Petes Beach, I caught, hooked, or saw just about everything that swims. How’s this list:

-Grouper
-Mangrove Snapper
-Lane Snapper
-Snook
-Sheepshead
-Spanish Mackerel
-Sailor’s Delight
-Atlantic Spadefish
-Ladyfish
-Jack Crevalle
-And the usual trash fish

I caught my first tagged fish ever- a 12″ gag grouper. Tarpon were rolling within 30 feet of Merry Pier. I had a few ‘freight train’ hits that must remain unidentified. Yes, it’s a great time of the year…

On a different note… my company is participating in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life on May 16. This 18 hour event raises funds for cancer education, treatment and prevention programs, and is a VERY worthy cause. This marks the third year that we have participated. If you’re reading this, I would invite you to come to the event (Stetson University, Gulfport Florida) or make an online donation. Any help is greatly appreciated. Here’s a link: http://main.acsevents.org/site/[...]team&fr_id=4974

So, I had a big hunk of grouper to cook this weekend. Cap’t. Dick provided an outstanding recipe. In a large aluminum pan, add 2 cups of chicken broth. Place grouper fillets in broth, and season with Everglades seasoning. Cover the fillets with sliced onions, green peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms. Cover with aluminum foil, and place on the grill at medium heat for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!