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Sports

Gag Grouper Season Kicks off this Weekend

Vince Tice from Tampa Fishing Outfitters lets Tampa-area anglers know what's biting in area waters, and although gag grouper season opens today, there's are tons of angling options

SALTWATER SCENE

Vince Tice from Tampa Fishing Outfitters, the largest independent tackle shop on the West Coast of Florida, said with gag grouper season open in all waters today through Nov. 16, anglers can look for big gags in as close as 30 feet of water offshore.

He said redfish have been biting well in the bay and Spanish mackerel were reported this week to be thick just off the beaches on the north end of Anna Maria Island.

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He said pompano have been hit and miss and flounder have been caught just off the Pinellas County beaches.

There are plenty of tarpon at the Howard Frankland and Gandy bridges, as well as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

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Also, snook have reportedly been chewing at the Courtney Campbell and by Cypress Beach near the Howard Frankland Bridge.

With water temperatures at about 84 degrees on the flats, anglers can anticipate a late October push of kingfish and cobia following the first legitimate cold front.

SOMETHING TO TRY

This one’s obvious – with gag grouper season opening, go get some grouper sandwiches. Anglers can get them trolling and bottom fishing form the Skyway shipping channel.

TIP

Start shallow when fishing grouper and go deep. Tice said divers are reporting seeing 20-to-30-pound grouper in 30 feet of water. All the pipeline mitigation sites from 100 to 120 feet of water are reportedly holding lots of 21-23 inch mangrove snapper, he said.

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