 |
Kingfish are Here!
Capt. Dave Pinkham
April 19, 2009
Venice - Saltwater Fishing Report
Finally, at long last the spring king mackerel run has arrived to South West Florida. Over this past week, we managed some decent catches of both king and Spanish mackerels. This is great news for area anglers, as mackerels offer some of the fastest non-stop fishing action of the year.
Over the past couple of weeks we've been steadily running the boat through schools of baitfish showering on the gulf's surface from three to twelve miles offshore of the coastline. Because of all the bait in the area, I figured that it was just a matter of a few days or so before the northward migrating schools of both kings and Spanish mackerels made a showing.
As an avid angler and charterboat captain, I always look forward with great anticipation to the annual spring mackerel run. It's sort of like a spring fever for me. The way I see it is for folks who have never fished the Gulf of Mexico, what a fantastic introduction to just how good the fishing on the gulf can really be. I've seen the run get so heavy, that for as far as the eye can see, there's fish jumping out of the water.
I recall one exceptional day in particular. We spotted a flock of birds diving down at the water. As we approached closer, we observed pelicans, terns, and loons taking their turns making bombing runs and crash dives. The water's surface was alive with jumping fish, as well as boils and splashing water everywhere. The water was clear enough that we could see millions and millions of small baitfish everywhere. The bait was packed so closely together that it looked like black moving balls. Chasing and feeding on these schools of tiny baits was quite an assortment of different fish species. I've never seen so many different types of fish working an area so hard at the same time. Most of the jumping fish were mackerels and black tip sharks. This had to be one of the wildest days of fishing I have ever experienced, and after casting baits into the feeding frenzy for the better part of the day we caught and saw quite and assortment. Feeding right along side the king and Spanish mackerels there were several species of sharks, namely black tips, lemons, and a few big hammerheads. The larger sharks were feeding more on the blue runners, the bluefish, and the little tunnies. There was also some of the biggest jack cravelle I've have ever seen, let alone caught. Anyway, it really was quite a day.
The key to finding this type of feeding activity is by keeping your eyes open. Even if you don't locate this type of commotion, just a few kingfish on the end of the line will make a decent day of fishing. Kingfish are fairly easy to catch, and when feeding, they will hit almost anything that even remotely resembles a baitfish.
Over the next couple of weeks, those anglers that take the time to get out on the gulf and fish for these toothy gamefish should have a real good shot at experiencing this type of world- class fishing action.
Good luck and good fishing. Get out and go fishing cu'z it's good fer ya!
More Fishing Reports:
|
|
|
|
