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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Anderson Florida Fishing Shorts: Saturday, March 28, 2009

Zippity Do DA, Zippity Day, My Oh my what a windy ole’ day; Winds continue to be heavy, setting back any coming of kingfish by at least a week। Anglers should be using a variety of baits, such as white bait to straws in bagging bragging rights to some of the biggest Spanish mackerel seen in years just off the beaches of inshore Florida। Larger mackerel have invaded the artificial reefs 5 to 7 miles offshore along with scattered kingfish. During the daytime, pompano and nice-size sea trout are being caught in the holes adjacent to the flats, and Reds are found tailing falling tides along side channels to docks.

Kahula Fishing Kites Catch Fish!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Kingfish Fever

Remember the Acme Yo-Yo and doing the “walk the dog” trick as it went up and down? That trick and all reminds me of our passing cold fronts, up and down temperature readings, along with baits trying to make it to the beach line. As each day the water temperature tries to hit that magically delouse number of 68 to 72 degrees, only to plummet as March continues to roar in like a lion. Yesterday, the temperature at the pier in Venice, Florida was a hot 71 degrees (water) and the mackerels abounded everywhere within the Spanish to Cero lines. Couple this with a westerly wind and we will begin to see smoke as that big daddy of them all will appear just off the beaches as King fever begins its migration north as spring temperatures prevail and the baits pod along the bars in a smorgasbord of delights to all in a feeding frenzy to Kingfish fever. The “schoolies” are the first on the scene, showing up as schooled mackerel falling within the small to fifteen-pound class. All Kingfish under twenty-four inches, measured from the fork, must be returned back to the water as they are undersized and against the law to possess. Kingfish must be 24 inches or longer if kept, with a limit of two. It is all in the tails folks, from the dorsal to the tail and you too can tell the difference between a regular mackerel (Spanish or Cero) and the Kingfish. Some of you experts say it is in the color or spots and sometimes that works but sometimes all mackerel look similar and it can be confusing even to an expert just by judging it spots. All fish have a lateral line on them. Some colored in scale others in an actual line, like the Mackerels. By looking at this line, you can save yourself the embarrassment of a ticket and be an expert too. King Mackerels have a break or sudden drop in their lateral line in the shape of a slanted “L”. Spanish and all the other mackerels have either a wavy or dropping lateral line with no slanted “L” shape. In addition, Kingfish minimal slot is 24 inches at the fork to keep with a possession limit of two per person. All other mackerels are minimal slot 12” at the fork, with 15 fish in possession per person. Stupid is not looking for that slanted “L”. Large King fish are considered Smokers because they can burn up a drag on a fishing reel and Smokers are caught out at the end of Sharky's on the Pier, with the "T-Gang”; those angling the trolley system.