Pier 60 Fishing Report

Spanish Mackerel have been biting early in the day on live shrimp, small live minnows, and lures. Live shrimp are usually fished under a float, but free-lining shrimp is a good tactic too. Small minnows are caught on a Sabiki rig, and fished in the same fashion. Using a float allows the angler to cast further, and keeps the bait suspended in the water column where Mackerel and other predators roam. Lures have been working well for the Mackerel, and there are several advantages to this approach. The casting plugs and spoons allow you to cover a great area of water in a short time, and there are few nibbles or stolen baits. The plugs are armed with multiple hooks, and strikes usually result in a fish on the line. Fish are removed easily if you use a pair of pliers to hold the plug and the fish usually shakes right off. The same lures used to target Mackerel also attract strikes from other species. These other fish may include King Mackerel, Ladyfish and Jack Crevalle.

We saw a flourish of Sand Sea Trout this month on Pier 60. Fish were adults in the 15-inch range, with some larger. The Sand Sea Trout look like the Spotted Sea Trout, minus the spots. We saw the bite for these fish mostly in the afternoons. Although there is no size limit or bag limit for these, fish over 15 inches provide a reasonable fillet when cleaned out.

Spotted Sea Trout have been active late afternoons and evenings. Live shrimp is a favorite bait, but grub-tail lures also work well. Lures also have the added benefit of catching mostly targeted species, and not having Pinfish steal the bait.

We have seen some nice Sheepshead come over the rail in September. The Sheepshead bite small cut shrimp fished next to the pilings. These members of the Porgy family will be around well into the colder months, so look for more of these tasty convicts in the weeks ahead.

Flounder have made a showing all month, with some fish from 12 to 16 inches. Look for the flatties to stay around for awhile, with larger fish taken as waters cool more.

Shoals of big bull Redfish have been seen swimming off the end of the pier, and large “muds” are a sure sign that a school of Reds is lurking below. Not a picky feeder, the Redfish fights with tenacity and power fishermen respect. Keepers must be slot-sized, 18 to 27 inches. Bag limit is one fish per day.

We have seen Tarpon almost every day on Pier 60. Fish are seen early in the mornings feeding on schools of small minnows. Anglers can still jump a Silver King here in September, and fish hang around well into October.

Most evenings Whiting can be found roaming the sandy areas around the pier. They like a variety of cut baits such as squid, finger mullet, or shrimp. Silver Perch have been seen here and there also.

One good way to fish for variety here is to use one of the larger-hooked Sabiki rigs we keep in the Tackle Center. Tipped with a bit of shrimp or squid, these rigs produce great results and fast action. Gamefish like Trout are attracted to all the excitement, and can be caught as well.

As usual, Sharks were seen, hooked and fought here on the pier this month. As more fish migrate through the area, the Sharks naturally follow and feed on the bounty.

Look for good fishing action to continue into October. As waters cool into the mid-seventies, there will be better water clarity with bait pods swarming around Pier 60. Cold fronts will trigger more fish migrations, and once the disruptive fronts pass, conditions should improve quickly.

Good Luck Fishing!

Make A Difference Fishing Tournament held it’s 17th Annual Kid’s Tournament on Saturday, October 1st starting at 8:00 AM. Young anglers enjoyed fishing from Pier 60 located in sunny Clearwater Beach, Florida. Celebrities in attendance included the Thrashers mascot, Phinley.  The Coast Guard performed a helicopter search and rescue demonstration for the crowd. Trophies were awarded in several interesting categories, including prettiest, and most unusual, fish.

Make A Difference Fishing Tournament is dedicated to helping handicapped children through fishing tournaments and other programs that facilitate the involvement of handicapped children in marine education and recreation.

A beautiful sunset at Pier 60

August is the hottest month of the year here on Clearwater Beach. In addition to the high temperatures, we are likely to see squalls, winds, and waves associated with tropical storms, either as a glancing blow, or a more direct hit. With water temperatures in low 90′s it becomes more important to fish early or late, as the sweltering heat of mid-day drives both fish and fishermen to cooler abodes.

We saw a good variety of fish caught this August on Pier 60.

Spanish Mackerel were not abundant every day, but decent catches were made by fishermen using live shrimp, small minnows or lures. Mackerel feed in mid-water, so bait presentation is key. Using a float or very little weight allows the bait to lie off the bottom or just under the surface. Keeping the bait in the strike zone gives the angler the best chances of success for the toothy Mackerel.

Snook are still feeding around the pier at night, but they are wary and have not been showing up until the wee hours of the morning, usually after most fishermen leave for the night. Snook will stay around until water temperatures dip into the mid-70′s. The high water temperatures seem to push hard feeding times into late-late night or just before dawn. Still, we have seen dozens of Snook milling about, awaiting that secret signal to feed. Snook remains a catch-and-release fishery until September 2012.

Some quite decent Sheepshead were caught off the pier recently. The Sheepies like small live shrimp, crabs, or other mollusks. Small hooks, patience, and a heightened sense of feel for the hook all offer advantages to the angler targeting the Sheepshead.

We have seen some nice Flounder caught this month on live shrimp. Good eating-size fish were not uncommon, and we also saw many undersize Flounder caught and released.

Spotted Sea Trout have been showing up most evenings well after dark. Although some fish are taken both in the mornings and afternoons, the best time to catch Trout has been well after dark. The fish seem to be very picky and tentative when biting, and it does not help when the water is alive with hordes of Pinfish ready to pick off a nice live shrimp. At these times it is perhaps better to use a white grub-tail lure tipped with a bit of fresh shrimp to get the Trout to bite.

Gag Grouper have been caught and released with some regularity this month. Grouper season has been closed to recreational fishermen all summer, but will open from September 16 to November 15. Minimum size of 22 inches, bag limit two fish.

Cobia were regular visitors to Pier 60 this month. All of the Cobia we saw were undersize, and were released. A few big fish were hooked, but eluded the landing net and got away.

There was a smattering of Whiting taken in August. The Whiting, although small, are a tasty treat to enjoy. Fishing on the sandy areas surrounding the Pier, a two-hook rig baited with squid or shrimp is frequently a successful tactic.

When the winds blow and the water gets muddied up, Catfish appear. Both HardHead and SailCats were a frequent catch here this month. Catfish will bite most any bait, including live Pinfish. Please be careful of the sharp spines this fish possesses. The Catfish will often struggle and flip about when it is time to remove the hook, and a serious wound can be the result. Saltwater Catfish have become more acceptable table fare in recent years, so there is some potential for a meal in poor weather conditions at least.

There are still Tarpon off the end of the Pier in the mornings. We see fish of 40 to 60 lbs. rolling in pods, and a well-placed live bait or large oily hunk of fish soaking in their path could incite a thrilling jump-and-run.

There are plenty of Sharks about, including BlackTip, Bonnethead, and Sand Sharks. Although we do not permit Shark fishing here on Pier 60, hook-ups are frequent. We ask that anglers do not land the larger Sharks, just break off once the fish has been fought and tired out.

Capt'n Tom

Redfish have made an appearance here, with fish both over and under the slot size of 18 to 27 inches. Some fish in the 40-inch range were successfully fought and released this month.

Pier 60 hours of operation will change Oct. 1^st back to Monday-Thursday 6 Am to 9:30 PM. We will still be open 24 hours Fridays and Saturdays.

Good Luck Fishing!

July fishing on Clearwater Beach’s’ Pier 60 was full of variety.

Spanish Mackerel fishing was spotty in July. The middle part of the month, high water temperatures drove the fish offshore. Once water temperatures relaxed, the fish returned. Most days fish were taken on live shrimp and lures during the morning. Afternoon success was less consistent.

We saw quite a few Flounder showing up in July, with fish in the 15 to 20-inch range. The flatties were biting on live shrimp and small minnows.

Catch-and release Snook fishing has been good, with the best success in the wee hours of the mornings. Snook have been biting on large shrimp, greenback minnows, Pinfish, and live Ladyfish free-lined near the ends of the Pier at the edge of the lights. During the night, Snook also move towards and from the beach, giving rise to additional opportunities to hook one of these fish. The State of Florida is not going to open the Gulf fishery for taking Snook until Sept. 2012.

Spotted Sea Trout fishing has been good in the evenings, with keepers 15 inches and up taken nightly. The Trout have been partial to live shrimp, but will also bite the tandem grub-tail lures.

Quite a few Gag Grouper were caught and released in July, with the closure of the Gag Grouper fishery for recreational anglers still in effect.

Tarpon are still seen rolling off the end of the pier, and a few anglers hooked up with the jumping & shaking Silver King. Live natural baits are the usual fare, but the Tarpon will also take a fresh-dead baitfish on the bottom.

Cobia are visiting the area, with quite a few undersize fish released. The large Cobia that were hooked managed to defeat the anglers and get away. I saw a pair of Cobia prowling up and down the pier, and the larger of the pair would have topped 50 pounds, easy. A Cobia of that size usually manages to wrap a piling or buoy, or snap the rod or line of most anglers.

Sheepshead fishing has been decent, with some jumbo fish caught next to the pilings on live shrimp. Many anglers overlook fishing under the pier with its reef habitat, casting their baits out as far as they can beyond the fertile pilings.

We have had a fair showing of Pompano in recent weeks, as long as the wind and waves were not roiling the waters up too much.

Black Sea Bass keepers were taken in July, biting on squid and cut baits.

We got to see some baby Barracuda caught this month. Barracuda are plentiful on the reefs offshore, but do manage to get close in during the summer heat.

Quite a few Whiting were taken off the sandy areas surrounding the pier, with evening catches the norm. Whiting are taken on shrimp or squid, and are a tasty treat!

We saw a good variety in incidental catches this month, including Moray Eel, White Grunt, Jack Crevalle, and Ladyfish.

Looking on towards August, we should see good fishing interrupted by stormy weather. Fish will bite hard in advance of bad weather. Once the weather arrives, the waters may become churned up by high winds and waves. In those conditions, usually the only fish we see caught are Hardhead Catfish, or SailCats. Just be careful of the spines of the Catfish; we have had more than one angler suffer a very painful puncture wound from the sharp spines.

Good Luck Fishing!