Springtime Bruisers Invade Tampa Bay

Bring on the springtime grunting.

Because the smooth, humming sound of a spool giving drag to an inshore game fish is just backup music compared to what's cranking across channels, rivers and offshore waters of Tampa Bay.

Kingfish made their first reported appearance offshore, in 50 to 60 feet of water. So did monster cobia farther out.

But what's within boating range of the average angler? Scattered tarpon, first of all, which are biting under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge fishing piers and in and around the Little Manatee River. Tarpon typically show up in early April and remain until late October. Under the Skyway piers, however, some tarpon have been known to stay until Christmas.

Within nine nautical miles offshore, in Gulf state waters, the recreational gag grouper season opens April 1. Gags can be caught on the edge of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge shipping channel, particularly along the cuts where the channel takes a sudden turn. Of course, near-shore artifical reefs, rock piles and wrecks also are holding the possibility of a keeper gag (more than 22 inches in total length.)

Keep in mind, the recreational harvest of gags are prohibited in Gulf federal waters (beyond nine nautical miles form the shore). For more information on Florida freshwater and saltwater fishing regulations, visit www.myfwc.com/fishing.

The Gulf shallow-water recreation fishery has been closed since Feb. 1 to protect the gags. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council issued the closure during the Gulf grouper spawn to help reduce what calls “overfishing” of gags.

The shipping channel, as well as area passes and bridges, are typically holding large numbers of Spanish mackerel. Use a chum bag to lure in the bigger macks, if needed, and throw out a heavy spoon or live bait. Be sure to use long-shank hooks to avoid cut-offs from the macks, which, like barracuda, have fang-like teeth.

For the adventurous angler with a boat capable of heading offshore, action is prime. Just ask Capt. Larry McGuire of Show Me the Fish Charters out of Cortez, who last week helped angler Bud Northway from Clarence, N.H., boat a roughly 70-pound cobia on 25-pound monofilament line.

Look for large schools of approaching cobia while fishing other species. As the McGuire crew was catching snapper and amberjack, a huge school of cobia came to the boat.

“I cast a Zara Spook magnum surface lure to them and the largest one grabbed it and then I handed off to Bud,” McGuire said. “On that same trip we hooked up an 8-foot lemon shark for a hour-long battle, with most everyone taking turns on the fight. When one angler got tired, his buddy would take over for a while. Now that's real extreme sports entertainment.”

McGuire said before Thursday's downpour of rain, lighting, and even tornado warnings in the St. Petersburg/Tampa area, the kings were hitting between 50 and 60 feet of depth. Amberjack, blacktip, lemon and bull sharks were biting in the same areas.

“This is a beautiful thing,” McGuire said. “Now is the time to come out and enjoy paradise.”

In the aftermath of Thursday's heavy rains, look for spots in rivers, such as drainage pipes, or simply runoff spots and on the edges of mangrove island, where runoff may still be spilling into the water. Snook and redfish tend to congregate to these areas, looking for stray crabs and other edible items that may be flushed into the river.

If the inshore scene isn't enough to keep busy, don't fret, because the bruisers are back.