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Kingfish
Posts: 1201
 
Location: Tampa Bay | The waters are cool but the bite is hot
By RANDY ROCHELLE
Posted December 07, 2009 by The Tampa Tribune
A break from the windy, rainy, nasty weather on Sunday gave anglers a chance to head out and drop a line. Most of those who got out found a hot offshore bite and a good mixed bag of fish.
Inside the 70-foot mark, gag grouper continue to make headlines. Hand-sized pinfish or grunts dropped to the bottom quickly turned into keeper gags.
North of Clearwater, anglers are finding limits of gags in 25 to 40 feet of water. Most of the fish have been in the 8- to 12-pound class with a few bigger fish mixed in. While the gag bite further south might not be as hot, you’ll find a better variety of fish.
If it’s bigger fish you’re after, then you’ll have to push out a bit deeper. Anglers fishing ledges and roll-offs in 130-plus feet of water have been boxing some quality red grouper, gag grouper, mangos and kingfish.
When bottom fishing out deeper, a flat line is a must as kingfish, cobia, wahoo and even a tuna or two is a definite possibility.
The late-afternoon and evening snapper bite has been good with some of the mangos pushing the 10-pound mark. Again live bait right now is king.
You’ll find it well worth your time to fill the live well full of pinfish, grunts and whitebait. As long as water temps stay near the 70-degree mark, you can expect the bite to remain consistent.
Captain Randy Rochelle runs the “Gotta Go” out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 365-3218 or go to islandercharters.net.
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Cool Water, Hot Bite - Randy Rochelle | TBO
