Kingfish are tearing it up all along our coast line and to clarify a mistake in last weeks column the minimum length for king mackerel is 24 inches measured to the fork of the tail.

   Frank Cooper fishing with Capt. Billy Miller caught a 43 pound kingfish fishing off St. Pete Beach. Coopers big king ran off 150 yards of line and went through and around a group of anchored boats. With great courtesy the boats reeled up their lines and helped Miller maneuver his boat through the crowd and into the clear. The big smoker king ate a 3 inch threadfin herring.

   Capt. Eric Coppin took his family on a fishing trip off Clearwater Beach. Trolling spoons in 50 feet of water, looking for kings, Coppin and crew could not keep the legal sized gag grouper off their lines.

   Pompano fishing at the Skyway fishing piers heated up this week. Angler’s vertical jigging pink pompano jigs were scoring with keeper pompano and Spanish mackerel.

   Capt. Van Hubbard says fishing in Charlotte Harbor is good right now. Hubbard has been catching redfish, big trout, and a few snook inside and Spanish mackerel , cobia and a few kings outside.

Pompano was the catch of the day for Gerry Stead and Phil Phillips over the deep flats of Boca Grande. Live shrimp was the bait the produced big pompano to 5 pounds.

   To check fishing regulations go to www.myfwc.com.