The feel of offshore big game fishing can be found in a small boat just outside a pass. Even pier fishermen have learned how to get in on the ex- citement of catching large, fast swimming fish on light tackle.

The action happens twice a year. King mackerel migrate up our coastline in the spring headed for waters in the northern gulf and again in the fall as they head back south to the Keys. The migrations seem to coincide with water temperatures, the duration of daylight hours, and the availability of baitfish. Water temperatures around 72-74 degrees seem to be ideal but it may not be the kings that have this preference as much as the baitfish. The mackerel may possibly follow bait schools more than water temperature. For anglers, monitoring water temperatures may be the best way to stay in tune with concentrations of both bait and kings.

There a many fishing methods that are productive for catching kingfish. Each has it’s own benefits for any given scenario. When broken down into their lowest common denominator there are two ways to catch kings. One is with artificial lures the other is with live bait. The use of lures usually requires trolling and typically includes spoons, lipped div- ing plugs, or heavy jigs. Live bait fishing has several sub categories including slow trolling, drifting, and anchoring. The list of productive live baits is extensive including scaled sardines, threadfins, Spanish sardines, cigar minnows, blue runners, ladyfish, mullet, Spanish mackerel, and more.

When it comes to catch- ing big fish, referred to as “smokers”, it’s undis- puted that live bait fishing gets the nod. Troll- ing artificial “hardware” is great for locating and catching “schoolie” size fish but it’s always live baiters that score the big ones. Just talk to any seasoned tournament an- gler. They’ll confirm that frisky live bait is the key, and the bigger the better.

Smokers get their nickname from their scorching fast runs that could conceivably heat up a reels drag to the point of creating smoke. Sto- ries have been passed down for years of pour- ing seawater on reels to cool them down during the heat of battle. These larger fish tend to be loaners and spread out through the migration keeping the smaller fish schooled in concentra- tions. These big breeders are typically caught at the beginning and end of each migration. They are also found very close to shore, just outside the swim buoys along the beaches, and at extreme off- shore distances during the bulk of the migration. These facts tend to lead to a theory that the smokers form a pe- rimeter around the huge mass of king mackerel containing them as they march along their migration path.

For those anglers who can piece the puzzle of fishing together, the rewards are trophy pictures and possibly prize tournament money. For the rest of us, if you’re having fun catching fish, you’re doing it right.

Capt. Brent Gaskill is a 4th generation Tampa Bay native who fishes both inshore and offshore as a full-time guide. Call 727-510-1009 or e-mail captbrent@summervacationcharters.com. View his website at www.summervacationcharters.com for more information.

View the article with full imagery by clicking here.

This April will mark the beginning of the tarpon season in Tampa Bay. Consistent reports of poon sightings and hookups start to spread quickly and everyone starts to feel symptoms of tarpon fever. You know tarpon fever is spreading when tackle shops start to run out of heavier Fluorocarbon leader, bigger circle hooks are disappearing of the racks and guys are flooding in one after another with big dusty spinning reels to get them reloaded with heavier braid. Other symptoms of tarpon fever include: buying big heavy cast nets, practicing your Bimini twist, arguing with other fisherman about the best tarpon tackle, guys sharing their “Top Secret” tarpon techniques with anyone who will listen and people asking where they can find those cute little crabs.

Tampa Bay tarpon come from near and far to do two of my favorite things, eat and make love! They follow the big herring and sardine schools onto the beaches and into the bay and feed voraciously in between offshore spawning sessions. This is the time of year I get geared up and ready for tarpon fishing to break loose. When putting together tarpon tackle, the most important things to consider are where you will be fishing and what kind of bait you will be using. As far as rods and reels go, I recommend a long stout rod with a softer tip and a well-built spinning reel with plenty of drag. Having a few rods in the 7-8 ft. range with a 15-50 lb. class rating is a good idea. Two of my favorites are the Shimano Teramar 8 ft. 15-40 and the Crowder E-Series 8ft. 20-40 for the big boys around the bridge. As far as spinning reels go, depending on how well it’s built and line capacity, a quality reel in the 6000 to 12000 range will do fine. This is one of those times where spending a few extra bucks on a higher end reel will pay off on the water. My go to, all around favorite tarpon reel is a Fin-Nor OFS 5500. Tarpon have a reputation for blowing up less expensive reels and destroying inadequate drag systems in a matter of minutes. You want to look for a reel with 20-40 pounds of drag for when you really need to put the pressure on them.

When it comes to rigging my rods, I like to fill them with 50lb. braid and always tie a Bimini Twist before my leader. Tying a Bimini in braid has many benefits; tied right it will offer a little bit of shock absorption to your connection, which is important since braid has nearly zero stretch. It also allows for stronger braid to leader connection and offers a few extra feet of doubled line for rubbing against any structure. More than once I have had a tarpon rub my line against a piece of structure and frayed or broke one of the strands in the bimini, while the other held up through the remainder of the fight. When it comes to leader selection, two factors to consider are water clarity and braid strength, but fluorocarbon is a must, in my opinion. I do not like using a leader with a weaker breaking strength than my braid and the only time I will is if I feel that the tarpon are being overly leader shy. I like to use 40-60 lb. on the beaches and 60-80 lb. around the bridges when you have to work them around the pilings.

When it comes to keeping those tarpon “glued” and on your line, choosing the right hook can make all the difference. I prefer circle hooks between 4/0-8/0 depending on the size and type of the bait being used. In my opinion circle hooks are far superior to J hooks when it comes to not only hooking tarpon in the right areas of their mouth, but also keeping them on through the duration of the fight.

My favorite all-purpose tarpon rig consists of a spool full of 50lb. Momoi Diamond Braid, finished with a Bimini Twist to a Double Uni to 8 ft. of 60 lb. Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 7/0 Owner Mutu circle hook.

When it comes to bait, the key is to figure out what they are eating and have plenty of it. Often it’s live sardines or big threadfin herring, but sometimes they want to eat pass crabs and only pass crabs. When baiting up for the day, if you’re not sure exactly what they are in the mood for, try to get a little bit of everything. By putting a few different kinds of baits out at once you allow the tarpon to swim down your buffet line and tell you exactly what they are in the mood for. Don’t overlook dead bait either. Tarpon are not exactly the apex predators that many people think they are, in fact, I think they are much more scavenger than predator. Fishing dead bait around the bridges and even off the beaches can prove very successful.
Remember to stop by your local tackle shop and pick up a few tagging kits. They are readily available up and down the west coast and are a great way to keep track of your catches and also help improve tarpon study and research. Being effective at both hooking tarpon and getting them boatside takes practice, skill and good preparation. Take some time before you hit the water in search of the silver king to make sure your tackle is set up correctly and you have a solid game plan!

Read the article with our new digital magazine and to see all imagery.

Captain Matt can be reached at 813-205-2327, online at www.FishingGuideTampa.com, on twitter at @captainmatts or at Facebook.com/Fishwithcaptainmatt.

Well, March was a month for the winds as cold fronts kept coming and winter would not let go. While fishing was great, in between the fronts, it still made for some nasty days on the water. When I think about April, I think about consistent weather and great fishing. The two rarely go together, but at certain times, in the fall and spring, you can see some absolutely perfect days to be an outdoorsman and April is that kind of month.

We have had a ton of cold fronts and some cold weather this winter, which typically means that fishing explodes in the spring. Fish start moving onto the flats and bait starts to move into the bay. The old saying holds true, where there is bait, the fish are not far behind. One species that really likes springtime is Snook. The snook start their journey from their winter homes and typically are very hungry. Snook are suckers for greenbacks and will rarely pass one up, this time of year. Look to see good numbers of fish around the potholes, mangroves lines and creeks that feed into Tampa Bay. Some of my favorite areas to find Snook are places like Cockroach Bay, Bishops Harbor and the Kitchen, just to name a few. My tackle of choice is the same I use for all other inshore species, but I will step up my leader material to 30 lb. to help protect against the rough mouths that the Snook have. This will help when you hook the big one! While Snook are in season, I still urge everyone to practice catch and release. Snook are on their way to a successful recovery, but have not fully rebounded and every fish that is released is valuable to the stocks. Most slot fish are females! Just food for thought.
If you want to bring some fish home, I can’t think of a better tasting fish than Trout. With Trout currently being so plentiful, why not target them. If you are a novice fisherman and just getting into fishing, Trout is a great fish to target. With the slot being 15 to 20 inches and the bag limit set at 4 per person with one over slot fish allowed, it only makes sense to get some trout for the dinner table. Trout are also great fish to target, when throwing artificial baits.

They are great for the novice angler to build confidence when learning to use artificial baits. Some of my favorite baits are the Zman pearl white jerkZ weedless rig, for shallow water use, and when fishing open areas, you can’t go wrong with the MirOlure MirOdine 17MR. When practicing catch and release with Trout, don’t forget the use a de-hooker to ensure for a safe release.

Redfish start to make a big push this month following the spring mullet run. Look for big schools of reds to show up in the bay and mill around the flats looking for just about any bait either live or dead. Fishing around oyster bars, potholes and troughs will prove to be successful, as fish use these areas to move to and from the flats with the tides. On low tides, find those deeper potholes on the flats and you will typically find fish close by. Using the right tackle will make a difference when targeting any of the species mentioned above. My preferred tackle for my charters is Fins Ohero Adrenaline Braid tied to Ohero Fluorocarbon 30# leader and a 1/0 Daiichi or Trident circle hook; this is simple but effective and will put more fish on the boat.

Read the article with our new digital magazine and to see all imagery.

Captain Jason Prieto is a native resident of Tampa and has fished its surrounding waters for the past 20 years. He is owner and operator of Steady Action Fishing Charters. To book a charter, you can reach him at 813-727-9890 or . Catch him on the Tampa Fishing Outfitters Radio Show on Sunday Morning from 8 to 9AM on 1040 Sports Talk the Team.

It’s still too early to even see in front of you. The only light available is coming from the bright crescent moon overhead. As I walk into my little piece of heaven, the cool North wind blows through the pine trees, making them whisper their secrets away. I can see my breath, though only barely, in the silhouette of my dim headlamp. This is Florida and undoubtedly by the end of the hunt I will be sweating and batting away mosquitoes.
The state poses an interesting set of challenges that would deter your typical weekend hunter. Alligators, venomous snakes (six different species), spiders as big as your face and mosquitoes that masquerade as hummingbirds are enough to keep most people out of the woods, but I still love it. As a guide, I thrive in the woods, or on the water and the challenges that I have to overcome make it that much sweeter when my clients leave happy.
Today we are stalking the elusive Wild Turkey, the Osceola model. My client followed as I led deep into the swamp in search of an Easter dinner. The water started out ankle deep and began cooling my sore feet. After a couple of steps, it was nearly above my boots and without much resistance it began rushing in to flood my lower legs. Cold now, with the breeze on my back and the water soaking my socks, I began to move with a more hurried pace, steadily sloshing through the creek. As my legs moved, they kicked up decayed plant matter aerosolizing a fetid stench that filled my nostrils. Even with the water now adding substantial weight to my clothing, I felt very much alive. “Press on,” I thought. “This is what you live for.” My mind was set on what I would do if Osceola came within range of my client’s shotgun. How I would set up if his chiefs accompany him, or worse, his squaws. They see all. What calls would I start out with and how would I use them. All of these things crossed my mind as I pressed on.
My light shone through the darkness, just as a hot knife cuts through butter. The forest on either side of me offered vibrant colors. Vines and ivy once muted in the dry season was now lush and green, clinging to the two passerby’s clothes.
We got out of the water and climbed into the palmettos on a trail that I had blazed mere days before. As we went, we were accompanied only by the sound of the fronds scratching our wet camouflage, the dark mud sucking our boots downward and the Earth making us earn every step taken. This was the sound of the Spring stalk. A swamp stalk in one of Florida’s disappearing wetlands.
After a time, the trail grew shallow and with pine trees now surrounding me, it became dry. I was soaked from the waist down and I gave a look back to my client who sported a smile from ear to ear. The squalid mud gave way to white sugar sand with Bahia grass jumbled in amongst the sand spurs and stinging nettles. The dawn was still far off and with my light beaming off of the damp ground a new environment appeared. Hundreds of small eyes glared back at me from amongst the grasses. There were Spiders, predators just as I was, out for a long night of hunting the small crickets, roaches and cicadas that produced the ever-present orchestra of sound that surrounded us. It was spring’s early morning language.
Up ahead I spotted a downed limb. It was cracked away from the tree’s body by the great North wind, no doubt. It was a large Water Oak that was several feet in circumference. With browning leaves and moss blocking my way, I detoured around the tree. Off the trail I stepped slowly and deliberately around the jumble of firewood to the other side.
In an open pine flat, we sat listening to the cool breeze blow above us. The pine trees spoke as we listened to their soothing voice and we waited to hear the special sound. I dozed off at the base of a large pine, waking an hour later to the sound of songbirds calling from the palmettos behind us. Within a few minutes, objects began to materialize. We see other pine trees with the marsh out in front and the palmetto fronds to my sides. Then I heard it. It was the unmistakable sound of our quarry. We heard the war chant of swamp birds. Osceola fired off several gobbles in succession. My client looked back at me from the base of a thick pine tree, still holding that massive smile. I gave the thumbs up, and pulled down my camouflage face netting.
I sent out a series of soft clucks and one good yelp from my box call to the Old Chief just across the marsh. All was quiet. Osceolas are wise. They are ephemeral ghosts that take shape in the humid mists of the swamp, vanishing at the blink of an eye. Making you question if they were ever there. I whispered to my comrade, “He’ll come from the right on the same trail we came in on that circumvents the marsh. Be ready because you may only get one shot.”
I received a nod of approval and the shotgun was aimed and steadied toward the trail. The light began to shine in through the trees from behind us and while the pines across the marsh were obscured in a dense fog, I knew the birds were there. They gave themselves away once more and then nothing for nearly twenty minutes. I was about to get up to re-position us, when from behind the palmetto head on our right, a thunderous gobble echoed out penetrating the mist and piercing us through our hearts.
He knew that there was a lone female here. Osceola had heard her just minutes before and he wanted her badly. I purred softly to him with my diaphragm and he called three more times. I could see the red head bobbing around the fronds and soon enough, he was in sight of the shotgun. Through a thick cloud of mosquitos, a hammer dropped and a legend fell.
My client told me it was a surreal experience. “I’m thankful to have been a part of it.”

Though Capt. Johnny makes his living from the deck of his skiff, he does occasionally take a lucky client into the Turkey woods in both Spring and Fall. Call 813-713-0237 for inquires and be sure to follow his adventures on Instagram@lonepineoutdoors. Email: lonepineoutdoors@gmail.com. Web: www.lpineoutdoors.com.

The roots of my family tree are anchored in the soil of Tampa and Ybor city from the 1950’s. I have been running a lot of my trips from downtown this winter so I thought I’d tell you about some of the cool but frequently overlooked things to do and things you might see by boat near where the Hillsborough river falls into the large estuary of Tampa Bay.
I tie the boat up and run the majority of my trips out of Ricks on the River. Ricks has ample parking, cold beer, good food and the setting is just north of the downtown Tampa skyline. Rick’s is the perfect place to return after battling fish and surviving an adventure. I have, on many occasions, watched the tide run out of the river as the sun was sinking on the day while sitting at Rick’s. The crowd is mostly locals, a couple of halfwit (or is it half lit) guides, like myself and Capt. Wes Burns, river rats, attorneys, professional athletes, old friends, new ones and people from all walks of life. We all gather at the outside bar to tell lies and laugh at our lives. Eddie can be found sitting on the corner of the bar most every afternoon, while Rhonda, Crystal, Stephanie, Alison and Jessica keep the drinks and food flowing from the inside and outside bars. Tip’em well, they work hard! Ricks also has a ramp where I have unloaded my 22’ bay boat on a negative low tide with no problems. Its 10 bucks to launch and 100% of the ramp fee goes to fight juvenile diabetes, so don’t skip out on it. Rick’s is a great place to leave from and an even better one to come back to.
For those wanting to try something new or different, Urban Kai is a paddleboard shop next to Ricks; they offer sales, lessons and rentals. They do a Sunday morning yoga session using the paddleboards on the water at Davis Island. The Davis Island Ramp has also been refurbished and has new docks. It’s still free to use and it’s just a short little jaunt into the bay or a great launch point to ride the river.
I have done a few sunset cruises through downtown. The ride out is pretty cool, the sea walls are all adorned with different college crew team logos and slogans. Nearly all of my clients make mention of it. The ride through the Garrison channel is slow, but very relaxing. This trip just makes me wonder how people acquire the massive amount of cash it takes to own those homes, for me it is not comprehendible , especially on a guides income. The sun setting over the horizon of St. Pete is at times breathtaking and after dark it’s beautiful. The bridges are all lit up in different shades and colors. The skyline is aglow with all the lights and buildings illuminating the skies. It’s kind of eerie, the hustle and bustle of the downtown night crowd is all around you, yet the sense of being alone out on the water is overwhelming. I pick up a lot of my sunset cruises at the dock in front of a quaint little Italian restaurant called That’s Amore’. I will make reservations for you there and have a chilled bottle of wine to toast the indescribable ending to a fantastic journey, whether it is a first date, anniversary or just because.
While running the shipping channel be on the lookout for the large Tugboats. When you see the ones running hard pushing water in front, keep watching, the dolphins love to play in the wake, they jump, spin and for whatever reason really like to play right in front of the tugs. It’s really awesome to witness the athletic ability of these mammals. The ever watched over sea cows can be found in the warmer waters by the power plant soaking in the warmth and basking in the sun. Pine Island ( A.K.A. Beer Can island) is just a little south of the Alafia River. It is a neat place to hang out and enjoy the day with friends on an island that is only accessible by boat. Be sure to take your trash with you when you leave and pick up any stray trash that is laying around, that way the powers that be will allow this resource to be enjoyed and it’ll keep it looking good to the next set of boaters.
The fishing downtown is different than anywhere else I have fished in the bay. It’s tougher, but more rewarding. Winter was good, lots of sheepshead and tons of docks and structure to hold them. Occasionally when we have a warm winter night, the snook can be caught around the dock lights. It’s a part of the bay many have not seen, it’s a little on the industrial side in places and a little on the commercialized side with all the buildings and channelside. Oddly enough it is just like the residents of Tampa, diverse.
Kinda off the subject of this article, but I want to say thanks to my clients. It’s through their eyes that I have rediscovered that many things that are routine for me are brand new and exciting to them. It’s worth the time to slow it down and ride the tide. Looking back over the time since I began fishing professionally, I have witnessed some awesome sights, amazing creations and many things of indescribable beauty. I am so very fortunate to have a really neat career that offers occupational hazards like seeing more than my share of sunrises and sunsets. I love smelling the aroma of the salt air or the freshly washed atmosphere after a summer storm, before it gets heavy with humidity again. I am fortunate to see Dolphin and Manatees daily and to have on file all the mental images of the many tides that brought in with them some awesome people. Many of the inspirations for my stories and thoughts, some of which have been printed here come from these experiences. You have all affirmed my belief there is a God and I am convinced he is an artist.
To experience an adventure on the water, give Captain Tim a call, text or email. Who knows you may find your story here, in the pages of next month’s Onshore-Offshore magazine! Cell: 813-714-0889 and email: tim@swiftfishcharters.com.