Spanish mackerel and kingfish were biting well off of Clearwater this week before the bad weather came through.

Capt. John Topicz reports easy limits of Spanish trolling #1spoons behind 2 ounce trolling leads. The Spanish were 1.5 miles off Clearwater Pass and the kings were caught slow trolling ballyhoo over the Rube Allen artificial reef.

Larry Mastry caught ten kingfish averaging 20 pounds each slow trolling big white baits around markers 9 and 10 in the Egmont ship channel. Fishing around diving birds and striking fish was the key to getting bites. Mastry says they lost a 40 pounder at boat side. Bait was caught at the Skyway.

Big kingfish were also prevalent in Boca Grande Pass says Capt. Van Hubbard. Hubbard and party landed four big kings in the 20 pound range and lost a few more. There are rumors that a 50 pounder was landed in the Pass using a big blue runner for bait.

Sheepshead was the target for Capt. Billy Miller, Glen Pla, and”The Average Angler” film crew. Using barnacles for bait Miller and Pla and caught over 40 keepers during a morning fishing trip.

Fishing is heating up in Anna Maria Sound. Big speckled trout are biting over the grass flats, redfish schools are moving around the deep grass flats and sand bars and a few snook are hanging on the mangrove shore lines. Spanish mackerel and an occasional king fish are feeding on bait just offshore of the public beach.

Red grouper is open in both state and federal waters. Gag grouper is open in state waters only.

Check www.myfwc.com for bag and size limits.