    
Capt Mike Winn
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 | | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 9:39 pm: | |
Subject: Cedar Key Florida Report
BIG BEND
If you don’t mind the heat, this weekend’s weather should put a smile on your face. We can expect a southwest wind from five to ten knots and seas two feet or less through Sunday. A welcome change from the windy conditions we had last weekend. You’ll still need to keep an eye out for water spouts, thunderheads and lightning, and keep in mind that lightning strikes can appear many miles from the nearest clouds. It’s scary stuff, so be careful.
Despite very warm water temperatures inshore and less than ideal water clarity, grass flats in as little as three feet of water are giving up some impressive trout. Why are the specks putting up with 86-degree water? Well I don’t know for sure, but I would guess that the abundance of bait inshore might have something to do with it. Live shrimp will work if you can get them. Otherwise jigs worked near the bottom or under a popping or rattling cork will do the job. Small pinfish or cut pinfish are a good option as well. OK just about anything will work if your in the right place at the right time.
Trout are keeping Spanish mackerel, bluefish, small sharks and jack crevalle company on deeper grass as well. All the same baits mentioned for trout will work. Try drifting areas like Seahorse Reef, Spotty Bottom, and Hedemon Reef for any and all of these species. Pinfish, threadfins, pilchards, blue runners and ballyhoo are abundant, and can become a nuisance once your livewell is full. Trolling and anchoring seem to be equally effective right now as long as you can stay away from floating grass.
Just sub-legal red grouper continue to ravage live and frozen baits all along the Big Bend. If you want to have any bait left when the gags get hungry, you better double up on livies or frozen herring or sardines or you may be sorry. We’ve got to be extra careful when catching so many shorts to make sure they are released in good shape. Maybe we’ll have a chance to catch them again after they grow up and before the commercial guys get their hooks into them. Anglers fishing 45 to 65 feet of water have made some fine gag grouper catches as of late. Frozen bait will catch them, but live bait will catch them quicker.
While trolling for gags is hot in winter and spring, it is not usually the most productive tactic for middle-of-summer grouper fishing. It can however weed out the smaller fish for anglers limited to fishing closer in. The largest grouper in a given area are usually the first to chase down a trolled plug. The odd king, oversize Spanish mackerel, or cobia might also be your reward when employing this method. Mann’s Stretch 30, Rebel Jawbreaker, Cisco Kid, and Magnum Rapala are all worth a try.
Good fishing, see you next week!
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