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I fished the north end of Skyway on Monday 3/29.  A little cool and very windy.  After fishinf with squid and shrimp for an hour or so with no luck, a local guy showed me how he was catching pinfish.  I cut two strips off each pinfish for bait.  What a difference the next couple hours were.  I caught 10 - 12 spanish mackerel using this approach (on Tuesday I found out I was doing it wrong) All were pretty good size.  Then near low tide the catfish moved in and that was all I could catch.  Monday night I went back to the north end, caught a pinfish and put it on a 4/0 hook and let it swim around.  About 45 minutes latter the reel started screaming.  Fought something for about 20 minutes until it ran under a piling and broke off.  Used another live pinfish and again about 20 minutes latter another taker.  well, I landed this one and it was a big old nasty catfish.

Tuesday I hit the south side.  Lots of folks on the pier.  Tried the cut pinfish but now luck, just a bunch of little ones taking small bites.  I saw other fishermen were catching spanish mackerel on spoons and gotchas (apparently the way you are supoose to catch them).  I followed suit and caught five within two hours.  I then moved up to the shallows to try for some pomps but no luck.

Wednesday I went to Desoto Park planing on fishing the surf.  However, I could not pass up trying mangroves.  Caught two small and two decent size flounder on a white plastic grub.  I then switched to shrimp below a popper float and caught three undersized reds.   

Good report !

The 'gotcha' and Clarke spoons are standard lures to use on the pier.

Consider using a 'sabiki rig' to get  baitfish , as well as spannish macks ...  and it doesn't attract catfish.

A  standard commercial sabiki will do , but if you want spanish mackeral you have to go with either X longer shanked hooks, or with a stronger pound test leader. There are some readily available , but you need to go to #20 pound test leaders, or higher so as to not get bitten off.

If you can tie your own, go for for #30 pound test fleurocarbon leaders, and you will be bitten off less, and the rigs will last longer .

There have been occassional , although sparse , reports of kingfish already ~ for them you will need live bait ( shrimp / pinfish / spannish mack / blue fish / etc. ) with wire . While there have been few reports of bluefish in any sizeble numbers as of late, they are notorious 'short-biters' , but make excellent 'oily' bait .  They will start showing up in greater nubers as the waters continue to warm up .

Irish_Tinker