This week I took a group from Travers City, Michigan fishing. Patrick May and his two sons had been in our area for a week and had caught plenty of trout and wanted to try for some kingfish.

Icaught bait at The Skyway and we headed to St. Pete Beach. At first we tied anchoring and chumming and that did not work very well because the tide was not moving much. Slow trolling produced a few Spanish mackerel but no kings, although we did see a nice sized king skyrocket.

Moving out 6 miles to the St. Pete Beach Reef produced nothing except a few semi interested barracuda that would follow our baits but not hit them.

We went back to where we started off St. Pete Beach and had instant hook ups. For two solid hours we had two or three Spanish mackerel or kingfish on at the same time. The tide was moving well and the fish were on a feed. Both of the young men caught their first kingfish during the feeding frenzy.

Kingfishing in the Egmont Ship Channel has been consistent. I fished with Jay Mastry around markers 9 and 10 slow trolling greenbacks and menhaden. We caught and released over twenty kingfish before 10 am.

Sharks are also in the ship channel feeding on the kings. If shark action is what you want, try drifting a bloody kingfish around the bait schools.

Capt. Billy Miller reports the shallow water grouper fishing is on fire. Fishing just south of the Egmont Ship Channel, Miller and party limited on big gag grouper. Added to the catch was two big kingfish over 25 pounds that hit a free lined white bait while anchored and bottom fishing.

Speckled trout are biting well on the Pinellas Point and Fort Desoto grass flats. Try a DOA Deadly combination for fast action.