Dive Forecast: Florida West Coast

Location: Florida West Coast

Summer is here and so are the fish! The water has really warmed up the last few weeks and with that, the bait has been thick. The mackerel are as thick as ever and even a few straggler kingfish have been around. Any kind of near shore wreck or structure is worth checking in hopes of a nice king passing through. The cobia have not been as steady during the last few weeks but guys are still finding single fish on a lot of the wrecks. With Gag grouper and Amberjack closing this week, many guys are starting to focus on red snapper. On the last couple of offshore trips we have seen good numbers of BIG red snapper hovering above the structure in deep water.  Some chunks of burley really help the snapper come up in the column and it is important to pick out the biggest ones first because after a few shots the fish will stay deeper. Keep in mind the recreational limit on Reds is 2 per person. Aside from Reds, giant mangrove snapper and even flag yellowtails have been present as well on most deep wrecks south of Clearwater Pass. When hunting the deeper wrecks and reefs always been sure to keep an eye out for pelagics. Giant permit, African pompano, kingfish, wahoo, and blackfin tuna are always a possibility.

Visibility:

Nearshore waters out to about 50ft have been stellar for this time of year. Visibility has stayed pretty much top to bottom. 60ft out to 110ft has had an algae bloom, keeping the visibility down around 15ft on the bottom. Anything outside 110ft has been beautiful cobalt blue!

Wetsuit this week:

I also recommend diving naked simply because everything looks bigger underwater and hey, who couldn’t use a little morale boost! With water temp being in the 80s, board shorts and a 3mm top or rash guard will be plenty.

Shark Factor:

Its tarpon season therefore is shark season! Schools of small 2-4ft reef sharks have been present on just about every wreck offshore but have not been a nuisance. However big bulls have been spotted on a lot of near shore structure and offshore wrecks so be sure to get your fish back to boat quickly. Or at the very least just swim faster than your buddy.

Weapon of choice:

With visibility being good near shore a 110-120 is my gun length of choice. You never know when that big cobia might swim up to you so it’s always nice to have a little extra punch if need be. For the offshore stuff a solid 130-150 is strongly recommended. The fish have been smart and you need every bit of gun you can get.

Best Bets:

If you want a trip to remember now is the time! Load up a group of guys and head offshore to the deep wrecks. Now is your best chance for big red snapper, cuberas, kings, and blackfin tuna.

If you want to have a good time, I recommend sticking close to shore and hitting the ledges and rockpiles in 30 to 45ft. Plenty of large male hogs are around and the mangrove snapper are out in full force. With a good bottom time you can sit and wait for the bigger snapper to present themselves.

Open Seasons of note: Dont forget!!! Gag grouper is now closed through the end of the year with the possibility of a 2 month season later on in the year. Amberjack is also closed till Aug 1^st.  However red snapper has opened up for a short while so get them while you can!

Regulations and size limits for your area:

Be sure to check out the myfwc.com website to stay current on all the rules and regulations

Rumour has it: GR Tarr, Matt Rey and few buddies hit some of the shallow wrecks this past week in search of a few last minute gags. As a bonus they ended up with some monster mangroves and GR shot a nice permit and a cobia.

Upcoming events: The next upcoming tourney is the 2011 Southern Open out of Johns Pass. Be sure to sign up or come down to the weigh in to see some incredible fish. Last year’s big fish was an 83lb black grouper shot by team Suncoast Dive Center!