By Dave Walker, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
June marks the beginning of hurricane season, summer vacations and all of the outdoor activities that coincide. This is the time of year when tarpon fishermen and surfers alike are drooling. Recent winds have complicated fishing conditions, but the holiday weekend had relatively nice weather and decent fishing.
Tip: When fishing on the busiest days of the year, be extra patient. Frustration levels can be exacerbated by fatigue, extreme crowds and sweltering heat. Finding fishing exclusivity in Tampa Bay can be challenging on the major summer holidays.
What's hot: Mackerel are still marauding bait schools and chewing up everything in sight. Tarpon are hanging around area bridges and beaches and once again, we are right in the middle of "poon" season. Other species are cooperating as well, such as trout, cobia, pompano, sharks and inshore gag grouper.
Tactic: When planning a day on the water it is a pretty safe bet that the wind speed will be higher than the forecast states.
Time saver: Scaled sardines (greenbacks) are spawning and can be somewhat difficult to obtain. To save time and fuel, visit the bait shop. Live shrimp will do the trick for many species. The best part about using live shrimp is that it doesn't require chucking a bunch of lead around first thing in the morning.
Captain Dave Walker charters out of Tampa Bay and can be reached at (813) 310-6531, snookfish.com or captdavewalker@verizon.net.