Inshore Stellar; Coastal Gulf Swarming with Pelagics

Capt. Jim Klopfer reported action in the Gulf of Mexico was fantastic prior to the recent front.

"Spanish mackerel were everywhere with false albacore and sharks mixed in," he said. "The bars in both passes have ladyfish and pompano on them. Snook and jacks are beginning to migrate up into the creeks and canals and are hitting Rapala X-Raps."

He reported that on Monday morning Sam Green from Portland, Ore. took out his two sons Jacob (14) and Joshua (11) on a six-hour charter.

"We started off in Phillippi Creek, where they landed a five-pound jack, several smaller jacks, and some mangrove snapper on live shrimp," Green said. "We moved to Big Pass and caught large ladyfish on gold Cotee Jigs."

Next, he said they hit the beach where they landed Spanish mackerel on Rapala X-Raps. "We finished up back in the bay catching speckled trout near Bird Key," he said.

Klopfer said he fished on Friday afternoon, after the front, and decided not to fight the wind and dirty water, and instead to hang around the "No Wake Zone" just north of

"We did just fine," he said, "catching sheepshead and mangrove snapper on live shrimp and a half dozen jack crevelle to five pounds, a pair of snook to 22 inches, and ladyfish on Rapala X-raps."