Captain Steven like many local guides are taking full advantage of the annual Black Drum blitz. The massive schools have been on the flats in lower Tampa Bay for 3 weeks.
Saturday's game plan was simple, depart O'Neill's at 7 am and arrive and be hunting Drum at sunup. Good plan but not a drum insight. Next stop Tampa Bay's eastern shoreline which was disappointing at best. A few trout were all that we could get to play. About now Captain Steven was feeling poorly making poor decisions. Hindsight is always 20 20 but the best plan would have been to attack trout on the flats like the previous days.
Back to the Drum, the school was located in deeper water closer to the Skyway Bridge around noon. It was a smaller school with 20 boats all in close proximity. The school was moving quickly but those in the way found the Drum still eager to chew. This Captain could not get on top of the school.
The final stopped produced many hits plus the biggest trout of the day on a live shrimp.
Captain Steven Markovich
www.onthemarkcharters.com
