Spanish, kingfish a nice surprise

Posted Jul 14, 2012 by The Tampa Tribune

Updated Jul 14, 2012 at 05:02 PM

By BILL MILLER

Spanish mackerel and kingfish were active this week along Gulf beaches.

Kingfish are normally associated with spring and fall, so this appearance was surprising. Captain Kevin Walton reported catching lots of Spanish and a kingfish weighing 35 pounds 3 miles off St. Pete Beach.

Don Gavoni and friends, fishing with captain Billy Miller, limited out on gag grouper 5 miles off St. Pete. Also included in the catch were keeper red grouper, white grunts, triggerfish and a 27-pound king. Live white bait and threadfins were the key bait. Dead Spanish sardines, normally good grouper bait, would not get a bite, Miller said.

Other limit catches of kingfish were reported from markers 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 in the Egmont ship channel.

Sarasota Bay snook, reds and trout were biting last week for the “Fishing with Bill Miller” film crew. Captain Jason Stock and I, throwing gold spoons and topwater baits, each caught grand slams. Redfish preferred the spoons, and the snook and trout went for MirrOlure She Dogs.

Tarpon fishing is picking back up along the beaches. Anglers using fresh shad on the bottom have been jumping fish in the morning.

Captain Rick Grasset reports that fly anglers are doing very well on tarpon near Gulf passes. Tarpon have been passing over the sand bars on each side of the pass and have been very aggressive chasing and eating flies.

Captain Eddie Harrington says tarpon fishing off the Redington Pier was good this week. Many releases were reported, including fish in the 150-pound class.

Look for mangrove snapper to be feeding over bay reefs and structure. As the mangroves move into their spawning time they will bunch up and feed heavily.

For more information, visit http://www.billmiller.com. To book a charter with captain Bill or his son captain Billy, call (813) 363-9927.