So, Saturday was looking like the perfect day for an offshore grouper/ amberjack/ snapper trip. The forecast was sunny skies, mid- 70’s, and winds 4-8 mph. The crew assembled at Dick’s house at 6:30 a.m., and we started loading the rods onto the boat. But there was one small problem. The winds were howling out of the Southeast at a solid 20-25 knots, with higher gusts. We checked the TV reports, and the weatherman was calling for light winds- the graphic on the screen said 2 mph. Yet a glance out the window showed whitecaps forming in Boca Ciega Bay.

We made the only reasonable call, and after a few hours gave up on our plan to head 40 miles offshore. Good thing, too. The wind never really laid down all day.

Tim and I opted to buy a few dozen fiddler crabs, and we bagged a few sheepshead (including one that was a brute).  Not the same as fighting 50 pound amberjack, though…

On Sunday, we spent a couple hours on Merry Pier… without a bite. Lots of dead floaters from the recent freeze, though, including some huge snook. What a shame. Later, we had a football party highlighted by grouper, sheepshead, NY strips, Portuguese sausage, bar-b-q shrimp, marinated shrimp, sweet & sour meatballs, fresh salad, and a few cocktails…

Seems like a new cold front has blown in every weekend for the last few weeks, making for very difficult fishing conditions. The forecast for next weekend doesn’t look any better, either. Blustery North winds, temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s and stirred up water make for dismal fishing.

I’ve still managed to get out a few times, but it’s been VERY slow. A grouper here, a sheepshead there. That’s about it. With the recent drops in water temps, though, the sheepshead should be moving inshore now. There have been a few decent ones around, like this one caught on Merry Pier last Saturday: