With the unseasonably warm weather and water temperate we are still having the King Mackerel have began their migration into the waters off of Clearwater and John’s Pass. Bait such are Threadfin, Blue Runners and Mackerel have blanketed the beaches and nearshore waters. Although the main push of King’s haven’t shown up yet there are far from the massive invasion to terrorize these bait fish that have schooled up. King fishing can be heart pumping fishing with drag screaming and skyrocketing action. We typically slow troll live bait or anchoring up with a live well full of pilchards and threadfins. With the upcoming cold fronts this will be a key factor in firing up this fishery.
Bottom fishing remains strong with Grouper, Snapper, and Hogfish. I feel that Grouper fishing this time of the year as just as good as the summer months. Weather definitely makes it more challenging to run offshore with each cold front that moves into the area. Typically using both live and dead bait to target the Grouper although I find when water temps get colder the dead baits seems more productive as the fish start to become less aggressive. Hogfishing will get better and better as the cold front cool down the water. Using live shrimp or dead, crabs are the go to baits for targeting the Hogs. These trips provide great action for all anglers and provide an awesome fresh fish dinner. Don’t miss out on fall fishing out of the John’s Pass area. Give us a call to book your fishing trip.