Gulf Coast Fishing

Crab Anatomy

2006-09-12T21:57:00.000-04:00

Crab Anatomy Glossary
EXTERNAL FEATURES
antenna (pl. antennae)
The long segmented appendages located behind the eyestalks. These allow the crab to interact with its environment by touch and chemoreception.
antennule (pl. antennules)
Shorter segmented appendages located between and below the eyestalks, sensory organs; these also use chemoreception to "smell" and "taste".
appendages
Ten legs (five pairs) including a claw-bearing pair with spines used for feeding and defense, followed by three pairs of sharply pointed walking legs, and a pair modified as flat swimming paddles at the rear, swimming legs.
apron
Abdomen of a crab, which is folded under the body; male's is shaped like the Washington Monument or an inverted Y. An immature female's is triangular (pyramid shaped) and mature female's is semicircular, like the dome of the capitol building.
carapace
The shell covering the body that provides rigidity and protective covering. It is made of chitin and is the part of exoskeleton (hard outer covering) that covers the head and thorax (center) of the crab.
cheliped (see appendages)
The first pair of legs, carries the large claw which is used for defense and obtaining food. Male's claws are blue tipped with red; female's are red.
eyes
Visual organs mounted on the ends of eyestalks. The eyestalks contain cells that release hormones that inhibit molting.
lateral spines
Paired points on the widest outside edges of the carapace.
mouth
Opening to the digestive system, located between the antennae. The mouth contains jaws that hold and push food into the esophagus.
sponge
Egg masses. Numbers of eggs vary, some may contain as many as 8,000,000. They are attached to swimmerets.
swimmerets (pleopods)
Paired abdominal appendages under the apron of the female crab on which the eggs are carried until they hatch.
walking legs (see appendages)
Used for movement; crabs are capable of walking forward or diagonally, but usually they walk sideways.
INTERNAL FEATURES
gills
Place of respiration and filtration, consisting of many plume-like filaments arranged around a central axis. There are eight gills on each side of a blue crab's body.
heart
The pump of the circulatory system. It is broad in size and located in the lower center part of the body.
hepatopancreas (midgut gland)
Extremely large organ with several functions, including the secretion of digestive enzymes and absorption and storage of digested food. It fills most of the area around the stomach, depending on its contents of food reserves and water.
intestine
Portion of the digestive system through which digested food passes.
stomach
The organ of the digestive system that breaks down swallowed particles of food. It is lined with small hard plates and projections which aid digestion.
testes
Part of the male reproductive system , located on top of the hepatopancreas on either side of the stomach.
cartilage
Encases muscles that aid in movement of the legs. The muscles are the edible portion of the crab.

Finger Mullet

2006-07-30T22:15:00.000-04:00

Finger Mullet

Can be seen leaping out of the water in bays and estuaries and falling back to the surface and making a fluttering sound with their tails. White mullet spawn in early spring over the Continental Shelf when the waters begin to warm. The young spend several weeks in the ocean. At a length of ¾-1-inch the larvae move inshore and grow in the estuaries until they are about 5" then move out to the outer beaches in the fall (September) to migrate south.

Grayish bluish cast and somewhat deep bodied.

Work great for bait hook just behind the neck area or thru lips.

Commonly caught by cast net

Glass Minnows

2006-07-19T21:39:00.000-04:00

Glass minnows and silversides are anchovies. They range from Maine through the Gulf of Mexico in great abundance. They are easily recognized by the fact that they are transparent with a broad silver stripe down the side and are seldom over three inches long. When you are looking for bait and suddenly your fish finder shows a giant school under the boat, you throw the net perfectly, it sinks quickly, and comes back empty, you throw again and again as the fish finder tells you to, and continue this game until you are exhausted - then you are throwing on glass minnows. Some of us play this game for many years, even though we know better. Eventually you will get older and either find a younger person to throw the net, or after one or two empty throws, move on to another area to hunt bait.

There are ways to acquire glass minnows, because they are great chum material. The simplest is to buy them in frozen blocks at the tackle store, but you can buy a small mesh cast net and catch them yourself if you are a purist, (or bored silly). The net will be nylon usually and has a mesh size no bigger than 1/4 inch. They really aren't that expensive to buy and you will be using them dead anyway. I have never seen a bait well that would function properly to keep a batch of bait that small alive without clogging up constantly. The best way to use them is as chum. Cut them into small pieces with a pair of stainless scissors and drop a steady stream of the pieces overboard into the current. You can do this while you are slow trolling but I think it is more effective to chum from an anchored position into the current behind the boat.

You can use the same pieces for bottom chum simply by dropping them overboard in your chum basket and letting it sink to the bottom to disperse it where you are fishing. You can also just place the frozen block of glass minnows in a mesh bag hanging over the side of the boat and let them thaw and drift in the current. This is effective, but you use a lot more minnows than you do by cutting them. Don't forget, you want to attract the fish, not feed them. When they are full, it's hard to get them to take a bait with a hook in it.

Tarpon

2006-07-09T16:47:00.000-04:00

Description: last ray of dorsal fin extended into long filament; one dorsal fin; back dark blue to green or greenish black, shading into bright silver on the sides; may be brownish gold in estuarien waters; huge scales; mouth large and points upward.

Similar Fish: (as juveniles) ladyfish, Elops saurus.

Where found: primarily INSHORE fish, although adult fish spawn OFFSHORE where the ribbon-like larval stage of the fish can be found.

Size: most angler catchs 40 to 50 pounds.

*Florida Record: 243 lbs.

Remarks: slow grower; matures at 7 to 13 years of age; spawning occurs between May and September; female may lay more than 12 million eggs; can tolerate wide range of salinity; juveniles commonly found in fresh water; can breathe air at surface; feeds mainly on fish and large crustaceans.

New Bride

2006-07-06T01:05:00.000-04:00

Went out last evening around 10ish, anchored in 27 foot of water and started to fish. We were trying to get some Mango's but the sharks took up most of our time. With in 20 seconds I had a 3 footer on board. Rerigged and dropped again.... 20 seconds later another shark. This happened all night couldn't get the bait to the bottom. We tried squid, pinfish, grunts almost everthing we had and all we hit were sharks all black tips 9 all together 4 larges ones and alot of 2 to 3 footers. GO figure the day I didn't want sharks is the day I stumbled across a frenzy. Did I mention I got married over the weekend.

Wedding day

2006-07-01T11:27:00.000-04:00

Taking today off from fishing to get married, will do some night fishing on Sunday.

FireWorks

2006-06-25T17:11:00.000-04:00

This comming weekend will have alot involved . There is special things happening on Saturday and then hopefully some fishing on Sunday and then Tuesday we make annual voyage to Clearwater for the fireworks display.
Things to remember keep one atleist one person sober to be the driver on the water.
Have all your paper work in order.
Have your whistle,fire ext,life preservers and throw ready.
If there is a weekend to get boarded this is the weekend.
Good Luck and be safe.

SheepHead

2006-06-20T10:17:00.000-04:00

SheepHead

Other Names : Convict Fish, Baitstealer, Sheephead, Sheepshead Range & Habitat :Sheepshead are found in the Gulf, mostly in saline or brackish waters. They are very common near rock jetties, piers, pilings, and weirs. They are also found in nearshore waters outside the beaches during the spawning period of February-April This is an easy fish to identify, with its very broad body, boldly marked with 5-7 wide, grayish-black vertical bars set on a light gray or white background. Any confusion can be set aside by inspecting the teeth, which look a great deal like human (or sheep) incisors. The dorsal and anal fins have large, very sharp spines.

Sheepshead spawn in February, March, and April, with most spawning taking place during the last two months. Spawning takes place offshore, but near the coast. Some males and females begin spawning at 2 years old, but not all of the fish are mature enough to spawn until males are 3 years old and females are 4. Sheepshead will spawn several times during each season.. Sheepshead have been recorded as old as 20 years. Females grow more rapidly than males. At 20 years old, males average a little over 4 pounds and females about 5½ pounds. Growth is rapid until 6 to 8 years of age, after which growth slows dramatically, especially for males. Size :Sheepshead are common at 2-8 pounds, but can reach 20 pounds

Food Value

Excellent, but care must be taken when cleaning the fish due to their sharp spines.

They can be caught with a variety of baits mostly shrimp, Mussels, and clams. A common practice is to scape the barnacles off a piling to get the sent of shell fish in the water attracting the fish so to speak. Be ready to set the hook , they have small mouths and if you don’t get the as they hit you will be re-baiting all day.

Post Hurrican

2006-06-15T23:14:00.000-04:00

The only thing really to do after a hurrican is to relax and straiten up your gear. Take some time to fine tune your reels . Go a head and staiten out that cast net you hid under the live well for when you have time, becuase this weekend you will have time. Down time is a good way to make sure all the rigs you use once in a while are in working order. After a hurrican also means you can take the time and actually drink some beer with out being rushed or having to hide it as you pass the marine patrol . Only because you are still in port.
Everyone be safe and soon we will all be on the water again.

Tropical Storms Surge

2006-06-13T14:32:00.000-04:00

One major cause of hurricane damage is storm surge. Storm surge is the rising of the sea level due to the low pressure, high winds, and high waves associated with a hurricane as it makes landfall. The storm surge can cause significant flooding and cost people their lives if they're caught unexpected.

Typical storm surge heights vary with the hurricane's intensity, but they can range from only 1 to more than 5 meters (3 to 25+ feet). The inland penetration of the storm surge's damage can vary depending on the topography. In some locations, like Florida, the landscape is quite flat and if the ocean is raised a couple of meters, the intrusion of the storm surge can be as far as a mile or two. Storm surge creates steady flooding, and can wreck homes and pull boats and cars inland or out to sea. Waters that flow into low-lying areas can remain for weeks.

Our storm surge will surely mess our fishing for a good while and scatter what species of fish all around. By next week we should be getting back to normal patterns. LuckyAngler has more information.

Large Ships messing up our Fishing

2006-06-11T20:56:00.000-04:00

After taking a week off to "see pics" travel to Vegas and to my good friends houses in the great white north I did manage to get some fishing in " a little" that is we kept getting distracted by these Pesty 1000 ft container ships that kept going up and down our canal we chose to fish. It was a sight to see and kept us busy gauking at their shear size . We were located on the shipping channel between Lake Muskegun and Lake Michigin. Let me tell you, for almost mid June and this our first time to Muskegun Mi, We we not ready for 55 degree weather on the water. We had to borrow Jackets to keep warm. But loved the place, We look forward to Salmon fishing their this fall.

Rods and Reels

2006-05-28T23:17:00.000-04:00

Many people go out and spend alot of money on rods and reels. On the other side of the spectrum some people just go to WalMart and buy one of the off the rack combo's already rigged. Both are options but are you really getting what you want.
A good all around fishing rod I have always gone with an Ugly Stick, Strong and durable. We have never had a problem with them. $29.00 at WalMart or target or $12.99 at the Oldsmar FleaMarket go to the main entrence and take a right almost to the end you cant miss him, I dont know his name but I have purchased my deep sea rods and my light to medium rods from him. Reels are not so simple. We have fished with many of different brands and have finally came to the one I like. A Akumo Avenger, This reel is tough and will become an extention of you arm with an Ugly stick. You have to watch the ads for sales on these. They will retail between $50.00 to $70.00 a piece but Sports Authority has had them on sale for $34.99 from time to time.

Are you planning to travel please see TravelDealsNow for good ways to shop and tips on traveling.

Bait all Day

2006-05-21T11:56:00.000-04:00

Fished from 1p to 6p with minimal luck. It was more like hunting the fishing.We fished the most productive holes we new. Used live shrimp and dead shrimp along with Pinfish and grunts, we even thre artificials and all we caught was more pinfish and more grunts. We didn't count the scores of catfish and lizard fish we managed to land earlier. Late in the trip after the 5th or 6th area we fished, we some how stumbled across some small trout. My buddy mike was able to land 4 to 5 of these off of live shrimp before we called it a day. Tough trying to make things happen when the sun is set high in the sky and at a low tide with nothing moving. Sunday is another day and we will try evening before dusk for a little more action this time.

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Fishing at its Best

2006-05-19T12:37:00.000-04:00

The wx is nice and the fishing is outstanding. This is one of the best times of year to fish the TampaBay area. The flats around Palm Harbor/Tarpon Springs are loaded with large Gator tout. The Sharks have moved in to make your day a little more interesting and the Tarpon are rolling off the Sun Coast beaches. Try your luck in front of HoneyMoon Island for Mackerel or Kingfish. Ladyfish have been abundent on the passes along with whiting. Good Luck and Keep Fishing. Take a look at LuckAngler.com for more information.

Trout and Blue Runners

2006-05-13T22:10:00.000-04:00

With a high tide today had to try different tricks, started out at a productive spot We use when we have company on the boat. No luck this time we were hoping the tide was on the outgoing side but wasn't going to happen for us for a couple hrs. Took a ride out to 23 feet in front of Honeymoon Island Got a nice ride on some Black tips and a couple of small bites from grunts and lizardfish. The wind was kicking up the seas a bit so decided to drift the flats. With live shrimp drifting the flats we were attacked with hungry small specs , we landed 20 in the first hour there. I noticed alot of bait fish along Dunedin causeway didn't slow down to identify them though had enough bait as it was. Fished the east side of the barrier islands in 5 to 6 feet of water "crystal clear" by the way. Saw plenty of greenbacks and what really caught my eye was a fast moving fish chasing the shrimp to the boat. Blue Runners are on the flats and creating havoc with the bait. We cuaght 15 on light tackle in an hr. Atleist we were occupied with small Trout and Blue Runners. If we were going to be night fishing we would have loaded up with blur runners and green backs but Mothers day plans dampened our all nighter and we put in before dark. For those who do not know what clear water on the flats look like in 5 to 6 feet of water I have enclosed some pics of todays take.
Good Luck and keep Fishing

LadyFish

2006-05-12T00:34:00.000-04:00

Description: terminal mouth, slender body, small scales; last dorsal ray not elongated; head small and pointed.

Similar Fish: juvenile tarpon, Megalops atlanticus.

Where found: INSHORE fish, in bays and estuaries; occasionally enters freshwater, occurring in tidal pools and canals; often forms large schools and harasses bait at the surface.

A very good action fish, puts on a good show when hooked , becomes airborne frequently. Will hit on almost any softbait or lurer alwill will eat srimp and or Greenbacks.

Food Quality: Not very good very boney

We take the ladyfish and chunk them in 2 to 3 inch pieces and use them for shark bait and or balloon float them out 20 to 30 yards out for Cobia or Kings nearshore. Normally helps to have a small chum slick to get things happening.

Pompano

2006-05-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

Description:

Greenish gray on back, shading to silvery sides; fish in dark waters showing gold on throat, pelvic, and anal fins; deep flattened body with small mouth; no scutes; 22 to 27 soft dorsal rays; 20 to 23 soft anal rays; origin of anal fin slightly behind origin of second dorsal.

Where found:

INSHORE and NEARSHORE waters, especially along sandy beaches, along oyster banks, and over grassflats, often in turbid water; found here in the spring and fall around the Tarpon outflow canal of the power plant may be found in water as deep as 130 feet.

PompanoPompanoPompano

Baits for Pompano

Clams; You can purchase these at most seafood markets. Shrimp, Live ones work better than dead ones, try using the head part. Pull the shell off of the head, leaving the legs and innards. Sand Fleas; You have to catch these. You are going to need a sand flea rake and a bucket. Sand fleas are on the beach just at the waters edge. Take your rake and scoop up the sand as the wave is going back out. (live are best but frozen will work if fresh) fiddler crabs, and bloodworms. Some of you may have another bait or two that you use, but these are the basics. Fish them on the bottom with a weight small enough to hold them down but not so big as to hinder the movement along the bottom with the current. Pompano are always moving along the beaches looking for a meal being swept along with the wave action. Walking the beaches and casting jigs into the surf is another method of fishing for pompano. If you find a spot of beach with a lot of sand fleas then you know that it is a good spot for pompano. Try it for a while and if nothing happens keep moving. Just be sure to remember where you found the biggest concentrations of sand fleas because the pompano might be there tomorrow. As for jigs, the old stand-by is a ¼ to ½ ounce yellow or white bullet-headed jig wrapped with the same color hair cut off at the bend of the hook. There are other jig patterns that will work because technique is the key when using jigs

RedFish

2006-05-05T19:06:00.000-04:00

Description:
chin without barbels; copper bronze body, lighter shade in clear waters; one to many spots at base of tail (rarely no spots), mouth horizontal and opening downward, scales large.
Where found
juveniles are an INSHORE fish, migrating out of the estuaries at about 30 inches (4 years) and joining the spawning population OFFSHORE.
Remarks:
red drum are an INSHORE species until they attain roughly 30 inches (4 years), then they migrate to join the NEARSHORE population; spawning occurs from August to November in NEARSHORE waters; sudden cold snaps may kill red drum in shallow, INSHORE waters; feeds on crustaceans, fish and mollusks; longevity to 20 years or more.

Light to medium gear including Fly-rods will give you the most fun. Use live shiners or greenbacks tossed in close to the mangroves . Live shrimp will work as well. We never had much luck fishing with cut bait for reds always had good strikes with artificial or live baiting

Cobia

2006-05-02T17:26:00.000-04:00

Description:
long, slim fish with broad depressed head; lower jaw projects past upper jaw; dark lateral stripe extends through eye to tail; first dorsal fin comprised of 7 to 9 free spines; when young, has conspicuous alternating black and white horizontal stripes.

Where found:
both INSHORE and NEARSHORE inhabiting inlets, bays, and among mangroves; frequently seen around pilings, and wrecks.
Fishing Basics:
Cobia can be caught by spinning, plug casting, bottom fishing and by trolling.
Equipment for spinning and plug casting should be a medium to medium heavy rod and reel with 12# to 20# line. Cast lures in front of moving fish so that the lure is reeled across the Cobia’s path. Brightly colored, jigs Bucktail (in white, lime green, yellow) and noisy sinking or diving plugs are popular choices
Equipment for trolling or bottom fishing from boat, bridge or pier would be a medium heavy rod and reel with 20#- to 30# line (Minimum 200yrds.) 2 – 4oz egg sinker on line above swivel, 3’ 40#-50# shock leader with a 4/0 to 7/0 O’Shaughnessy hook. Use live grunts, eels, pinfish, blue runners or crabs as bait.
Site fishing migrating Cobia is one if the most productive methods for using artificial baits and lures. They are spotted as they travel in shallow water, around pilings, navigational markers, buoys and anchored boats. They will also accompany other large fish and rays. Again remember to cast ahead of the fish so to bring the lure across its path and to work the lure with plenty of action as the Cobia comes near.

Speckled Trout

2006-04-28T11:44:00.000-04:00

Description:
Dark gray or green above, with sky blue tinges shading to silvery and white below; numerous distinct round black spots on back, extending to the dorsal fins and tail; black margin on posterior of tail; no scales on the soft dorsal fin; one or two prominent canine teeth usually present at tip of upper jaw. “Ouch, watch for these” They will get you if your not careful.

Where found
INSHORE and/or NEARSHORE over grass, sand and sandy bottoms. Winter time fishing in deeper waters with well defined temp variants produce good numbers of fish. We find that seatrout stage close to their winter holes on the flats between cold spells. Live bait works great for trout as they are aggressive feeders. Live shrimp or Pinfish on a un-waited “free lined” number 1 hook works well. Travel in schools .

Best bet
Fish a incoming or outgoing tide use live bait when possible look for pot holes or a sandy patch in between
The grass in 3 to 5 feet of water. Other good area’s close in towards the barrier islands during a moving tide.
if you are traveling here please visit this site for down to earth information Traveldealsnow

Bait

2006-04-25T11:30:00.000-04:00

There are many different types of bait we can use here on the Gulf Coast and many free for our taking if you know how. We use Shrimp for inshore . Hopefully alive but frozen will do when times are hard. Squid is a good bait for offshore and nearshore inshore you will get plenty of catfish with squid. Nice and stinky. Pinfish and Greenbacks and shrimp are my choice most of the time for inshore. Going offshore almost everything goes from chunks of ladyfish to cut-bait. Even finger Mullet do good offshore. With a good cast net and a can of Cat food to chum up the water a bit you can get a live well full of Greenbacks and pinfish in know time.

Gas Prices from Hell !!!!!

2006-04-21T13:24:00.000-04:00

Gas prices are now out of control. Tipping close to $3.00 a gallon has now made trolling out of the question. These prices will keep the majority of the boaters on dry land. The ones who do go on the water will not go very far. This weekend will either have the intercoastal packed with fisherman or scacely populated. For Most who do venture on the water, atleist the Mackerel and the sharks have moved inshore chasing the baitfish. It is time to get down to basics of what you want to do. You must determine to drift the flats or anchor and use a chum line.

Shrimping

2006-04-19T14:04:00.000-04:00

If you have time to kill and dont mind getting wet after dark, Try shrimping .What you will need. Either a small mesh cast net or a large scoop net . Make sure your mesh is fine just like you used to use when you were a kid up north catching minnows. You will need a light. We use a light thats fits to your head with a band. This can be purchased at Wal-Mart for 15 to 20 dollars. You will also need some type of fish meal mixed in with sand or mud to help it sink to the bottom. Locate your boat on shallow flats 1 to 2 feet deep. Toss out some fish meal in a general area that you can reach with your cast net or dip net and wait 3 to 4 min's. Shine your light into the area that you tossed your chum. You should be able to see the shrimp . Then throw your cast net over top of them. or dip net them. You will get bi-catch with the cast net method, so have your bait well ready for pinfish and grunts to use for bait the next morning. In Pinellas you are allowed 5 gallons of head on shrimp. We have not yet reached the 5 gallons quota yet do to we bet bored with tossing a net 30 or 40 times just to get a 3 to 4 gallons worth. We always intend on using them for bait but wind up BBqing the larger ones on the boat as a midnight snack.
Now the weather is nice again we spend alot of time on the water towards the weekends all day and sometimes all night. With gas prices as high as they are, free shrimp for bait along with pinfish and grunts help out alittle. Compare to buying shrimp from the docks at 2.25 a dozen. A good 45 mins. of tossing the net at night will get you your 12 dozen shrimp and atleist 5 dozen pinshish and grunts. The shrimp alone will save you $27.00 . Its always good to have some one onboard the boat with you just incase something goes wrong. O'Yes I almost forgot beer helps in this process. Its helps you forget why you are soaking wet in the middle of the night.

Spanish Mackerel Weekend

2006-04-16T08:25:00.000-04:00

We started out Fri morning about 0900. Had 2 people on the boat that have never been out with us before. We were going for Kingfish in the beginning. Stopped on at the sandbar infront of Calidisi Island to snatch up some green backs. Low and behold we spotted the birds crashing into the gulf a half mile in front of us. We had everyone re-rig their rods with silver and gold spoons and slowly crept up on the boiling water. We slipt with in 8 feet of the glass minnows who saw our boat as a safe haven from the hungry Spanish. We landed some nice Macks with in a couple of mins. kept this up until everyone was in a frency tossing spoons as fast as they could. It got alittle scary for alittle bit as large gold spoons went wizzing by my head. But we managed with out any injury. The wind picked up towards the afternoon and we couldn't stay out. Moved in towards the islands BBQd for alittle bit met up with another buddy on the water. Had some drinks and relaxed. Congrats to Gary and David for some fine catches for the first time fishing outside the intercoastal waterways. I promised Kings fell alittle short of that but thousands of Spanish boiling the water around them seemed to keep everyone happy.

Saturday we went out with my neighbor, we hit the same spots but this time we maxed out with in 2 and a half hrs. Came back in to clean them. Took 2 Hrs to clean them up and another half hr to vacuum seal them up, all and all 45 lbs of Fillets. Not a bad 2 days.
Good Luck and keep fishing
LuckyAngler.com will be updated later this evening. We have to do alittle maintenance.

St Josephs Sound

2006-04-10T19:54:00.000-04:00

St Josephs Sound is located from The southern edge of Dunedin to Tarpon Springs Florida . The area is covered with lush green grass flats and spotted with barrier islands. If you plan a trip there make sure you're early enough to get your boat in the water and a parking spot for the day. Marina's with Ramps are limited and fill up quickly. We will be posting on Lucky Angler within a few days of local boat ramps and bait shops for this area. If you plan on fishing there on the weekends, an early start is a must. Most bait stores that hold live bait run out by 08:30am on weekends. Some Pinellas fishing piers are listed here at Pier Fishing the Suncoast . If you wish to do some Party boat fishing in Pinellas County the link provided will give you some numbers to call.

Not fishing Saturday?

2006-04-06T22:47:00.000-04:00

We are not going fishing Saturday. We will be at Sun and Fun Lakeland Florida
We will be fishing for kings and Spanish Sunday. We will post both Gulf Coast Fishing and LuckyAngler.com Sunday evening.
If you would like to post your ideas or suggestions please go to LuckyAngler.com and go to information about LuckyAngler on the left handside.

Take a look at some pics

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Trials and Tribulations of Trolling

2006-04-05T01:27:00.000-04:00

Many people have contacted us with questions on trolling, here on this site and on LuckyAngler.com especially with lurers. We primarily use large lipped lurers . They are made by Storm or Mann's and Yo-Zuri. These lurers come in variable sizes and labeled with numbers on the package that represent the depth of the dive. We troll with these using large Pen or Mitchell reels rigged with a min. of 40lb test. We have the leader atleist 3 feet long and generally use steel leader but you can use 80lb to 100 lb test as well. Make sure you rig a sturdy swivel on the end. The no name knot comes in handy for this to affix to your line. If you are a beginner start out with a buddy only using 2 poles one on each side of your boat. One port and one starboard of the stern. This will keep you from getting entangled while you learn to drive your boat dragging 35 to 50 yards of line bihind you. Now we have the basics down we must cover the obstacles you will encounter. First you are bound to come across crab traps. As you are venturing out pay attention to the direction the crab trap floats and what direction the are floating. This will help you navigate thru them. If you encounter one and get hung up with one stop the boat and back towards the float bring in the free lurer and for the hung one loosen the slack and allow the lurer to float to the surface. This usally frees it from the line. If not retrieve your lurer and repete steps above. You will troll at 4.5 miles an hour to 5.5 miles an hour. you will also catch a fare share of sea grass see pic's. When you do get a bite do not freek out and stop the boat. You can slow the boat to half. This will allow the angler on the other side of the reel less work. Make sure you have constant pressure on your line never letting slack this will allow the fish to spit the hook by jerking his or her head. You can feel the pressure on the line and you will be able to tell when the fish is fighting back. Smaller fish will be dragged to the top and skip on the surf larger fish will let you know they are caught and give you a nice fight. Make sure you have a large net or a gaff to land you catch . The fish does not want to come on board and will fight hard when close to the boat. Have all your equipment close by so you do not have to fumble around for it when you need it. We have caught everything from Kingfish to Grouper using this style of fishing we also landed some big Barracuda as well. Bi-product will be Black Sea Bass, Lizard fish and Cobia. Well Cobia are not considered a bi- product . They are considered a prize.
Hope this helps
Good luck and keep fishing

Grouper,Blacksea Bass , Mangro's and Trout

2006-04-02T21:49:00.000-04:00

Trolled out to 32 feet, managed small grouper and Black sea Bass some Grey snapper and another Mangro Snapper. The water clarity was was crystal clear saw all the structure when we passed the Dunedin Reef. ( see pic). Worked our way back into the flats to go for some Trout wound up with 3 keepers and a couple of missed ones with in a hr or so. Our old friend "Chunk" came for a visit again during the hr we were fishing for trout. So most of the large Gator Trout had been warned off by the 1000 lb friendly porpious. We did get some Spanish Mackeral action close in to one of the islands very small but aggressive.

Fishing April Fools Day

2006-04-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

Gulf Temp. at 6 miles was 68.4 ,Seas were 1 to 2 with a slight breeze to the east. We managed a half dozen shorts and some Black Sea Bass. We even were able to land a nice Mangro snapper. Trolled for a little bit not much to speak of but bottom fishing seem to be the right idea. Fished off of Dunedin reef on some structure. There is to much pressure on the reef itself to catch anything. Everyone had a good day. Sunday's weather seems to be better then today. Hopefully we will come across Mackeral. We did come across some bait about 4 miles off but no action with them. Fished with Sqid and Sardines. Had some nice action with what we had.

For best results: Fish the ledges or structure that hasn't been pressured by the hundreds of boats out their this weekend. Cut bait or live will work.

Forcast : Plenty of bites

2006-03-30T01:56:00.000-05:00

This weekend will be the turning point from Florida cold water fishing tactics to the beginning of the all awaited Mackeral run. The warming trend for the last couple of days has brought the glass minnows to our area. Last weeks cold front dampened the northern migration of bait but with temps for the last couple of days in the mid 70's has maintained the bait here. The trout have been hungry and eating artificials and live shrimp. The redfish have been hanging around the oyster beds and mangro's. The snook bite has been good around the creek mouths and close in towards the barrier islands. Now lets talk about the Mackeral run. Look towards the gulf for birds this is a sure sign of Mackeral. Keep your spare rod rigged with a siver spoon. There has been plenty catches out there with in 3 miles . Anglers have maxed out with in 3 hrs. This is not the peak season as of yet but a fight with a hungry Mackeral will thrill any angler.
Visit LuckyAngler.com for more info.

Good Luck and good fishing
Jeff and Jeannie

Spanish Mackerel Have Arrived !!!!

2006-03-28T17:48:00.000-05:00

I am happy to report that schools of glass minnows are now in the area. With these glass minnows comes Thousands of Spanish Mackerel. look for the crashing birds off into the gulf or bay. The long and awaited Mackerel run has arrived followed by the Kings.

Technical difficulties with Lucky Angler.com

2006-03-28T17:22:00.000-05:00

We are changing the format of LuckyAngler.com . The site will be up and running with new enhancements soon.

Tides for St Josephs Sound

2006-03-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

Tides for Dunedin, St. Joseph Sound starting with April 17, 2006.

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon
          /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

M   17     High   3:29 AM     2.0   7:04 AM     Set  9:26 AM      89
   17      Low   8:43 AM     1.1   7:57 PM
   17     High   2:17 PM     2.8
   17      Low   9:44 PM    -0.3

Tu  18     High   4:21 AM     1.8   7:03 AM    Rise 12:11 AM      82
   18      Low   9:18 AM     1.3   7:58 PM     Set 10:19 AM
   18     High   2:55 PM     2.8
   18      Low  10:37 PM    -0.2

W   19     High   5:32 AM     1.8   7:02 AM    Rise  1:11 AM      73
   19      Low  10:02 AM     1.4   7:59 PM     Set 11:19 AM
   19     High   3:44 PM     2.7
   19      Low  11:44 PM    -0.1

Th  20     High   7:04 AM     1.7   7:01 AM    Rise  2:06 AM      63
   20      Low  11:15 AM     1.6   7:59 PM     Set 12:25 PM
   20     High   4:53 PM     2.5

F   21      Low   1:04 AM     0.1   7:00 AM    Rise  2:55 AM      52
   21     High   8:32 AM     1.8   8:00 PM     Set  1:32 PM
   21      Low   1:00 PM     1.6
   21     High   6:32 PM     2.3

Sa  22      Low   2:26 AM     0.1   6:59 AM    Rise  3:37 AM      41
   22     High   9:27 AM     2.0   8:00 PM     Set  2:40 PM
   22      Low   2:39 PM     1.3
   22     High   8:16 PM     2.3

Su  23      Low   3:33 AM     0.1   6:58 AM    Rise  4:15 AM      30
   23     High  10:05 AM     2.2   8:01 PM     Set  3:47 PM
   23      Low   3:53 PM     0.9
   23     High   9:39 PM     2.5

Weather

2006-03-27T20:56:00.000-05:00

MONDAY...VARIABLE WINDS LESS THAN 5 KNOTS BECOMING WEST 10 KNOTS IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SEAS 2 FEET OR LESS. BAY AND INLAND WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.
.MONDAY NIGHT...WEST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. BAY AND INLAND WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.
.TUESDAY...NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. BAY AND INLAND WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...NORTH WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. BAY AND INLAND WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. BAY AND INLAND WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.
.THURSDAY...SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. BAY AND INLAND WATERS A LIGHT CHOP. .FRIDAY...SOUTH WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. BAY AND INLAND WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.

Weekend of 25 March

2006-03-24T12:04:00.000-05:00

This weekend seems to be a wash, Winds and cold air with seas at 3 to 5 feet. A good time to clean up the old Pen reels and tie off some steel leader. Things to keep you busy waiting for the winds to die down. We intend on doing some yard work and take advantage of the nasty weather while its still here. The last thing we want is to be trimming tree's and planting a garden while the kingfish are running hungry thru the Gulf.
There has been reports of Smaller Spanish Mackeral harassing bait schools 2 to 7 miles off shore. We will have to wait untill next weekend to tangle with them though.

Good luck and keep fishing
we are still working on LuckyAngler.com but please take a look at our progress.

New site being developed

2006-03-22T23:08:00.000-05:00

Please take a look at Luckyangler.com we are combining several of our sites to this one. It is still in development so be paitient with us. Soon we will be able to interact with forums with your fishing reports, along with up to date weather and tides for Florida and our area. We will have local captains adding their support as well. The new site allows us to expand and interact with all interested. We will still continue to use Gulf coast fishing as a important information center for our area of West Central Florida Fishing.

Going down to the docks this evening to check on the boat I couldn't help but notice the amount of minnows clustered under every boat . This is a sign of spring and soon we will be in prime time kingfish action.
Have a good day and good fishing

Places to fish from land

2006-03-19T14:36:00.000-05:00

Since I remember when Our boat was in the shop and we didn't have complete access to a boat . We have decided to cover some area's we have fished in the past from land. One of the easiest places to fish is off a causeway. Dunedin causeway and the Fred Howard causway (Tarpon Springs Florida) come to mind right off the bat. Dunedin has a bait shop on the northeast side before you get to the bridges. We have found fishing half way between the bridges on the north side fairly productive with the grass flats. The other option is fishing off the bridges. Fred Howard is a good place as well, Grass flats on eitherside with minimum hassles from jet skiiers. Other places are big pier 60 on Clearwater beach. Pier 60 has a baitshop and restrooms. Other less known places are Crystal beach pier..located in Palm Harbor and Pop Stancels Park also located in Palm Harbor. honorable mention must go to Anclote Park located behind the power plant. Any place on the Anclote river these days in spring will produce a good amount of fish as well. Bait is the key weather fishing from a boat or from land. Live shrimp or pinfish work wonders for just about anything out their. If you can get your hands on some green backs you should have great action .

Silver Trout ......?

2006-03-18T08:50:00.000-05:00

Went out today, Not looking in the gulf for Mackeral. We intended to get some Spec's. To my surprise we hit a small school of silver trout in my regular spec hole. Nothing to really talk about other then I was amazed by the silvers in the area. We didn't get out earlie enough for live shrimp. The shrimp were gone by 8:30am. sold out by our arrival arrival at 9:45am. This ment dead shrimp and what ever pin fish I could catch. I had 4 of my friends on board who have fished a total of maybe 2 hrs combined in the last 5 years so. I new My day was challenged. After 4 spots of pinfish we cruised to Hurrican pass to check out a pompano report, I heard of 2 days ago. Stopped off on the sand bar to test the water a bit and found 71 degree's really isn't to bad. Tried some more fishing but, everyone on the boat decieded That swimming was more exciting at that moment. Even though I have always considered water under 80 dgree's to cold to hang out . Didn't find any fish to speak of . On the other hand, we didn't really try towards the afternoon. Sunday is a different day and will try to fish for real.
I did hear of some reports of Spanish Mackerals off of St. Pete. in 25 feet of water. Sunday I will check out the depths in front of honeymoon island.

Words of Spanish Mackerel in the area.

2006-03-14T13:40:00.000-05:00

Talked to some friends who went out to 70 feet Monday morning . They didn't have much luck in the 30 to 40 foot range but did spark my attention with a report of Spanish in the 60 to 70 foot deep point, attacking glass minnows . It will not be long before these ferocious feeders come a calling. I was hoping last week but still alittle to soon. I will be on the look out for them. Cooler loaded with ice and loaded with spoons. Spanish Mackerel travel in massive schools. Last year they were feeding on the glass minnows by the thousands. You could almost walk across them the water. The entire area exploding with activety. If the spring run is anything like the fall run. I will need a larger freezer. A bag limit of 15 per person. This means we can be choosy on keepers . Also means I will need more friends out on my boat for these surreal experiances. I remember thinking to myself "in the middle of one of the largest schools I have ever seen" A normal person who only goes fishing 4 to 5 times a year would just freak out. This year we will document our adventures with video and pic's. We also have decided to expand our blog to a actual website to interact with the angler enthusiasts of our area.
Good luck and Keep fishing
Jeff and Jeannie

Weatherman must have been high

2006-03-12T09:18:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning, we were on the water by 0800. Forcasted winds were 5 to 10, actual contitions were far from that . We headed as planned thru the intercoastal into the open gulf. The wind was blowing at a good 15 knots at this time and the intercoastal acts as a venturi tube . On the gulf things were a different story 10 knots and rolling. We trolled out to the Dunedin reef with out a bite. Bottom fished the reef for about 2 hrs with just small black sea bass and spot tail pinfish feeding on anything we baited. Headed back in around 2pm in quest of Trout. As we entered the Intercoastal with the wind at our backs we approached our first spot. We turned into the wind to gain an anchor hold and relized just how bad the wind was blowing. We couldn't get the anchor to hold in the spot we needed it to. So we tried another island more protected from the wind. Again the wind challenged our skills . We finally anchored up on the leaward side of a productive hole protected by an island with tree's. Everyone on the water had the same idea to stay out of the wind and crowded these small area's. We managed some small trout and one 17 inch keeper. The boat was pivoting on its anchor hold so much we couldn't keep the grill lit. The Mighty Mistress (our boat) a large party barge pontoon converted for fishing proved to be no match for relentless wind of March. We headed back in to our slip to do what most anglers do after a weather challenged day, We drank beer at the docks and listened to everyone else curse the weatherman who profoundly stated 5 to 10 with a moderate chop.

Awaiting the glass minnows

2006-03-09T10:56:00.000-05:00

This weekend will be warm, in the 80's . We have made up our minds to troll all day saturday. We have the big poles out and oiled and ready to go . Seas are forcasted at 2 feet and winds 5 to 10 miles an hr for saturday. Sunday winds at 10 with a light chop. We will start out in the shallows heading due west. Rigged with Rattle traps until we hit 18 to 20 feet of water then we will set up the stretch 15's and hope for the best. We will switch from 15's to 25's and 30's to see which is more productive through out the day. Friday Evening will we hang by our docks with Sabiki's to catch some pin fish to keep as back up. Last year at this time we hit massive schools of Mackeral with kingfish under the hungry school. So we are set up with Spoons as well. I have enclosed some pics if our readers do not know what I am talking about.We have been waiting along time for warm weather and Hopefully the glass minnows will arrive by this weekend. If not some stray grouper will keep us happy. Trolling in these parts is really quite simple. We go out to 30 to 35 feet most days . For the common fisherman who doesn't have the boat to go out hundreds of miles we still bring home a good bounty of Kings, Mackeral and grouper.

Good Luck and Keep fishing

Trout and Trout and more Monster Trout

2006-03-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

Left the house at 0700 in search of live shrimp . I didn't have to go very far do to the fact that Tarpon Toms relocated right up the street from me. Saturday Morning My dock was out of shrimp by 0900 and I wasn't going to be out of my favorite bait again. After a last minute cancelation we wound up against the barrier islands again with my buddy. He was already a couple short of limiting out on big trout. We started in on matching him as fast as we could. Got a couple lunckers and decided the seas were good enough to try near-shore action. We set out for a short trip and settled in at 23 feet on a nice rocky bottom. We hooked into 2 small undersized grouper, a couple of Black sea bass, some puffer fish and a trigger fish. While out in the gulf we were approached by the Pinellas County Marine Patrol or something. He checked our fishing licenses, our life vests, safety devices and fish. He stayed for a short while and left. After all this commotion, we headed back in for some more trout. High tide was at its max around 4pm and we fished all our usual area's but we could not find the bite. We wound up doing old school style fishing and drifted the flats. This produced Small trout and pin fish but nothing to keep us entertained . So far this year has produced more MONSTER trout then I have come across in a very long time. My best advice is to fish close in to the barrier islands with live shrimp for the lunker Gator trout for the next week or so. Or until the Mackeral move in and a whole new game starts. Here are some pics from this weekend of my fiance, myself and my buddies.

Our porpoise friend

2006-03-04T23:24:00.000-05:00

Today was a sunny day with moderate chop on the water , A little windy in the early afternoon but managed to have a run of good luck. We were even visited again by our porpoise friend we've named Chunk. Our porpoise friend came to the side of both my buddy's boat and ours . Chunk greeted us playfully and continued to look for hand outs for hrs going from one boat to another. This is the same porpoise we have come across many times this year and he or she seems to be very playful and extremely domesticated. See these amazing photos we shot this afternoon.

Paridise on the bar

2006-03-02T21:40:00.000-05:00

We are ever so looking forward to the warmer days of summer. The days when you are satisfied with a half dozen grey snapper some silver trout and some nice shark action. After a morning and early afternoon of fishing and heavy sun it becomes time to wash the 10 coats of SPS 45 off at the Sand Bar . Equip your self with a decent radio an Ice cold drink and a fine friend. In my case it is my fiance. We BBQ and have some proverbial drinks and relax in the shallows of the surf. When other friends tag along the girls have fun shelling and us guys just have fun watching. All that is needed for this, is a nice Sand Bar some Ice cold drinks and a radio. Late June, July, Aug, and Sept are the best times. The Sun sets at 9:30 pm and the Jet skiiers are tired of bothering everyone all day and are too tuckered out to screem by you at 50 miles an hr. Summer will be here soon and we look forward to the long days of relaxation. One of our favorite Sand Bars to hang out at is just north of Anclote island. It does not have a name but the locals have a website for their sandbar called Saveoursandbar.com
Be a little careful with alcohol and be sure not to broadcast your actions to draw attention to yourself. Common sense is a rule of thumb. The police are in boats and watching for unrulies. The Sheriffs Dept. hangs out on Three Rooker as well as hundreds of boats there every weekend. Be cautious and Safe out there . Should be good action this weekend. I will report daily activities on the water.

Trolling Gulf Harbors for Snook

2006-02-28T22:05:00.000-05:00

Did something out of the ordinary this evening, We went trolling in a 14 foot John boat up and down the the north channal of Gulf Harbors, Pasco Florida. Gulf Harbors is a unique system of deep water cannals which harbors many game fish including Snook, Red Fish, Jack and Ladyfish. Gulf Harbors is a excellent retreat for windy choppy days on the water. Located north of anclote power plant a short distance from St Josephs Sound. We started off at 2pm loaded with artificials and yo-zuri ' red and white' lurers. The red and white Yo-zuri lurers seemed to out fish the rest or our artificial arsonal this day on the north channal of Gulf Harbors. We caught many small Snook and a couple nice trophy keeper snook. We even hooked into a couple nice sized black Sea Bass half way up the channal. We ended the day fishing for sheephead under the docks which proved very productive and exciting. Since this was a un-planned trip unfortunately I did not have my camera with me for this. I have inclosed a aerial photo of Gulf Harbors.

This weekend looks to be a very good fishing weekend and I will keep you updated with reports and photo's. Temps in the 80's should raise the water temp. a bit possibly bringing in some bait.

Blue Crabs

2006-02-26T14:31:00.000-05:00

Blue Crabs are used for bait for many inshore and near shore species of fish. Inshore blue crabs are used for Drum. Off shore or near shore they are used for just about anything. I have had success using them for Cobia, Grouper, Sharks, Barracuda and Tarpon.
Blue crabbing is a simple thing to do for the commoner. Simply purchase a triangle trap that goes for Nine dollars or so at any sporting goods store that sells fishing supplies.
To use this type of trap all you will need is chicken necks or legs. Simply bait your trap and lower over a bridge or pier until it reaches the bottom and opens up flat wait ten or so min's and raise your trap. The trap sides will close in to complete a triangle capturing you a crab. Have a bucket ready to hold your crabs. Please see Blue Crab regulations for local restrictions.
The other more convienent way is to purchase a cage type trap. This trap will run around 25 to 30 dollars . Simply bait this trap lower to the bottom and leave it alone for the night. Check this type of trap the next day or when you are finished fishing. When using a boat with this type of trap keep in mind the local regulations. Also do not lay your trap next to or around any commercial traps in the area. The commercial trappers do not take kindly of private traps in their area and sometimes you will find your trap mangled and or completely missing all together.

A more exciting way to kill some time while hanging out on the sand bar is to grab your fish net and simply scoop the crabs up while they swim by in the current. I have done this on the SandBar North of Caladesi island in 2 to 3 foot of water. On a good day you can get 10 to 12 blue crabs in about an hr.

If crabbing for eating purpuses here is a link for cleaning your catch there is some work to cleaning blue crabs but the meat is very sweet.
Make sure you have a bucket for your catch to contain them, the last thing you want is four or five large angry crabs crawling and snapping around your deck while your in your bare feet.

March Madness Grouper

2006-02-22T11:31:00.000-05:00

As March steadily aproaches the Gulf waters start to warm. This brings the grouper closer inshore to with in reach of us common boaters range. The grouper will be in 19 to 35 foot of water at this time if we continue our warming trend. For this area of Pinellas this means 3 to 6 miles off shore easy reach with a properely rigged boat. If bottom fishing look for rocks or ledges on your fish finder then lay down some large pinfish or grunts. If you use sardines or squid you will shorly find some Grey snapper but that is another story all to itself. If bottom fishing is not you style try trolling . Rig a 4 ought with a stretch 15 or 25 these are made by Strom or Manns. Can be purchased at any Wallmart. Rig your lurer with a heavy 3 foot leader Steel is ok as well, then Slow troll at 4 and a half to 6 miles an hour. Make sure you have atleist 30 to 40 yards of line out. Set you drag semi tight just so you know your getting a bite no need to set the hook the fish will do this for you. once you have the Fish On slow the boat to half speed never stopping. keep constant pressure on the line. It is your job to catch the fish its the fishes job not to be caught. Giving the fish slack will allow him to spit the hook out. Keep in mind the local Salt Water regulations that vary from county to county befor keeping you prize catch. Pictured here is just one example of a short trip in September. You will be amazed of your by catch when trolling as well. We have maxed out our bag limits on grouper many of days well with in the sight of land.

Sharks one o one

2006-02-22T01:20:00.000-05:00

Sharks are more or less a given, fishing here in Pinellas county starting in spring time March to late Dec. We almost can bet on atleist 3 to 4 a day when we are not fishing for them. They will hit almost everthing from battered pinfish to small shrimp or squid. Best time is at dusk to Morning when fishing for these eating machines. You can catch them from shore or on boat. I have found for this area fishing Hurricane pass or the north end of Honeymoon Island the most productive inshore, both excesible by land or by boat . Off shore or near- off shore any place will work they will find you no need to hunt them down. A chum bag will speed up the process but not needed. Medium to heavy gear is a good start or light gear if your looking for a challenge. Float some pinfish out on a balloon float on top and have another midway or on the bottom use a steel leader(2 to 3 foot long) to make sure you fight lasts more than 15 seconds. Pinfish/grunts/finger mullet alive or dead will work. Sit back for a little bit... never leaving your pole unattended and soon you will have more excitment you might have barganded for. My fiance loves the fight of a shark and glows when she lands them onboard or just to leader reach.

Curious friends "porpoise"

2006-02-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

Fishing in Feb. We seem to see alot of different things . We had a un expected visitor who circled the boat and hung out for quite a while . I think he or she was waiting for free hand outs such as a redfish or smaller trout that we wouldn't be needing. My fiance had named him or her chunk do to the large chunk missing from the dorsal fin.

Gator trout at St. Josephs sound

2006-02-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

This long weekend of Feb. 18th, 19th, and 20th have proven to be a fishing experiance. Water is still cold hovering around 62 degree's . The trout are hungry though and were snatching up shrimp and pin fish as quick as we could bait the hook. Went out Sat. and Mon. maxed out on limets both days. Fished outgoing and incoming tides both very productive. Try fishing close the islands for best results the fish have seemed to have moved off the flats and congragated in the shallows. Look for deep holes around the rocks or dark spots . With 3 onboard and all of us holding our max I found my self
cleaning fish for a while.

Heading in from a good day of fishing!

2006-02-13T21:25:00.000-05:00

Get Ready for the Kingfish Run!

2006-02-13T21:15:00.000-05:00

Here on the gulf coast as the water starts to warm, the kings start to run. We will let you know when we see the first sign of this in the Tampa bay area.