Saltwater: Gag group getting good numbers in Tampa Bay

Fish of the Week

Gag Grouper: Good numbers of keeper size gag grouper have been caught around the Tampa Bay area and locations elsewhere this past week.

Strike Zone, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, Elsewhere

1: At Big Pier 60 in Clearwater, both speckled and silver trout have been caught this past week. Spanish mackerel and bonnethead sharks have also been consistent catches. The occasional black sea bass is also in the mix. Regular, local anglers targeting sheepshead, are catching decent numbers on the pilings, reports Big Pier 60 Bait & Tackle (727-462-6466).

2: At Madeira Beach, nearshore the bottom bite for gag grouper and hogfish is really good at a depth of 30 to 70-foot. A few mangrove snapper are also in the mix. There’s also still some kingfish and some Spanish mackerel near the surface. Deeper offshore, there’s steady numbers of big gag grouper, scamp and triggerfish, along with mangrove, mutton and yellowtail snapper. On the pelagics, there’s blackfin tuna, kingfish and cobia, reports Capt. Dylan Hubbard of Hubbard’s Marina (727-393-1947).

3: At John's Pass, sheepshead are all over the pass. The docks, the bridge, the jetty and just about any structure are all producing good action. The jetty is also producing black drum, jack crevalle and the occasional redfish. Whiting and a few Spanish mackerel are biting in the surf from the jetty and along the beach, reports Hubbard.

4: At Fort De Soto Park, there’s good sheepshead action around the bridge, the docks and seawall at the marina. Decent numbers of redfish and speckled trout are biting on the area flats. The redfish bite is still especially good off East Beach. Gag grouper are still biting along the edge of the channel from the Skyway out to Egmont Key. Out at the pier, Spanish mackerel are biting and there’s plenty of bait, but some red tide has been moving in the last day or so. Sheepshead are biting steady around the pilings, reports the Bait Bucket (727-864-2108).

5: Around the Sunshine Skyway and lower Tampa Bay, the gag grouper bite inside Tampa Bay has been “phenomenal” and should continue to be good through close of season on December 31. Both live baits and trolling have been producing good numbers of keeper size grouper. The mangrove snapper bite is also improving inside the bay on the reefs and around structure. The speckled trout fishing remains good on the deeper flats in both Terra Ceia and Miguel bays. Anglers should be aware of the red tide that has pushed into the area off Anna Maria Island and towards Fort De Soto. There’s also red tide offshore in the Egmont Channel, reports Capt. John Gunter of Palmetto (863-838-5096). The speckled trout bite is good on deep grass, ledges and marble looking bottom in open water 4 to 6 feet deep on the east shoreline between Miguel Bay and the mouth of the Manatee River. Good numbers of sheepshead are biting around the Skyway, most structure and the reefs in the bay. A few schools of scattered redfish have been roaming the area. There’s plenty of Spanish mackerel and bait at the Skyway and mackerel are also inside the bay, reports Capt. Shawn Crawford of Florida Sport Fishing Outfitters (941-705-3160.

6: At Anna Maria, red tide is pushing into the area off the beaches, but it hasn’t moved into the sound yet. The snook, redfish and speckled trout bite is still good along the eastern shoreline of the upper sound. Sheepshead are biting on most structure, around the bridges and at Longboat Pass, reports Crawford.

7: At St. Petersburg, the gag grouper bite is good in the shipping channel from Port Manatee out to Egmont and also around the Skyway and on the bay reefs. Gags are still being caught on trolling plugs in the 20-foot range off the Clearwater area. There’s plenty of bait and Spanish mackerel biting around the Skyway. The inshore bite around the creeks and canals is good for redfish and a few snook. The sheepshead bite is good around the area bridges, the bay reefs and just about any structure. Tripletail are still being caught on the crab trap buoys off the beaches. Nearshore, Spanish mackerel and a few kingfish are biting on the St. Pete Reef. The reef is also producing decent numbers of mangrove snapper on the bottom. Anglers should note, red tide is pushing into the area, so keep and out and watch your bait in your live wells if you run through any areas with red tide, reports Larry Mastry at Mastry’s Tackle (727-896-8889).

8: In the north end of Tampa Bay, more and more sheepshead are biting around structure and the bridges. Gag grouper are biting in the deeper channels and on the bay reefs, especially to the south. Slightly cooler water has picked up the speckled trout bite on the flats, but there’s no real size to the fish. A few whiting have been caught on the edge of deeper channels. Decent numbers of redfish are biting around the oyster bars and in the upper bay. A few black drum have been caught around the bridges. Cobia are biting around the power plants and warm water runoffs. Some of the markers and buoys are also holding cobia and a few tripletail, reports Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551).

Elsewhere

- At Homosassa and Crystal River, the nearshore rocks off Homosassa in the 7 to 10-foot range are producing gag grouper on Rapala CD-14 shallow running plugs in purple or blue mackerel color. The redfish bite is good deep in the back country of Ozello. Freelined live shrimp on the edges of potholes, close to the mangroves are getting the best bite. The speckled trout bite really turned on this week along rocky shorelines around Crystal River. Glow color D.O.A. 5.5-inch jerkbaits are producing the best action, reports Capt. Marrio Castello of Tall Tales Charters (352-454-7719).

- At Fort Pierce, offshore it’s been a little rough this week, but for those willing to get out, there’s mangrove and mutton snapper on the bottom around the 80-foot mark and some kingfish at the surface at 50-foot. At the inlet, some pompano, whiting and croakers are biting in the surf. Sheepshead, mangrove snapper and a few muttons, are biting in the inlet along the jetty. The best snook bite has been while trolling lures at night inside around the bridges. Sheepshead and a few black drum are also biting around the bridges. The Melody Lane Pier is producing steady numbers of sand perch, reports Clint Walker at the Fishing Center of St. Lucie (772-465-7637).

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Gag groupers still biting in Tampa Bay