Subscribe Sun Ad. The weather was nice and, along with hundreds of fellow anglers scattered down the Gulf Coast, they caught plenty of good fish. Then came Sunday and the latest windy angling interruption. Many folks cancelled trips, and others braved the choppy flats but, unable to fish effectively, fared poorly. Hagen and Haynes, though, only had three days remaining on their long-anticipated fishing trip.
Perseverance does pay.
Mackerel fans are excited, as hoards of Spanish are tearing through pods of Gulf baitfish. As usual, the best concentrations of the toothy torpedoes are off Cedar Key and Suwannee, on Seahorse and Hedemon Reefs and the area known as Spotty Bottom. Some veteran mackerel anglers are particular in choosing lures and colors, but feeding Spanish will run down most small, flashy baits. More important mackerel-catching factors may be rigging properly with a thin wire leader and choosing baits that troll well at higher speeds. Kingfish are tougher to catch, demanding trips a bit farther offshore and heavier tackle - including reels with sufficient line capacities and smooth drags.