By Capt. Ric Liles
Fishing Columnist
Fishing has been pretty good lately, but before I get to that I want to inform everyone of Nov. 10 meeting, from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm, at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg.
The statewide Manatee Forum should be a great place for anglers to voice concerns. Every now and then, readers get upset with my political views, but it’s part of my business as a fisherman and I want you to be informed. If I’m not on a charter that day I hope to see you there.
Back to the good stuff. This past week was a good one on the water with schools of redfish continuing to be the big attraction. We have had the best results on the St. Petersburg side of the bay.
Trout catches have come in 30-40 fish per outing, but most have been under the legal size. We should have a great spring for trout.
I had some kids on the boat and by the time we got back to the dock their 14-inch trout had grown to monster status. You’ve got to love the way a kid makes a fish bigger with time. Truth of the matter is, it’s not just kids who do it.
The snook are already staging around the mouths of creeks and rivers due to cooler water temperatures. A recent cool snap got them headed in that direction.
Mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel have slowed down, but it appears that sharks have taken up the slack. We had several small sharks come to the boat and I even found out what it’s like to get my fingers stuck in a shark’s mouth. Just so you know, a small shark has very strong jaws. Lesson learned.
Until next time, good luck and be safe on the water. Remember: don’t let your kids be the ones that got away, take them fishing.
