Just when I thought near shore fishing could not get much better, it did.

More kingfish moved onto the artificial reefs and hard bottom areas from 50 feet and in. The Egmont ship channel has kings from markers 13 and 14 all the way out to the Whistler sea buoy.

Blackfin tuna and sailfish, normally thought of as deep water fish, have been caught regularly by kingfish anglers slow trolling live bait.

Most of the tuna seem to have been have been caught at markers 1 and 2 and the Whistler buoy of the Egmont Channel. The sailfish have also been caught in the ship channel and on the kingfish grounds 6 miles off St. Pete Beach.

Capt. Billy Miller guided his party to a big sailfish and limits of kingfish on a half day trip this week. I personally saw 3 other sails caught around me during this week.

Tarpon are showing up along the gulf beaches and at the Skyway. It doesn’t seem like the main bunch of tarpon has arrived but it shouldn’t be long before tarpon season is in full swing.

On the flats speckled trout are cooperating with anglers using live white bait under a cork or the DOA Deadly Combination. Redfish are hanging around the mangrove islands at high tide and snook are starting to feed heavily on the outgoing tide.