Tampa Bay

May 8th, 2008

Hi Friends,
The spring kingfish run has not been quite as good as the fall run, but steady action has been readily available. The most consistent spot for kingfish is the Egmont ship channel from markers 9 and 10 out to markers 1 and 2. Live bait, caught using Sabiki bait rigs and slow trolled, has been the best method. The kings are still there and probably will be through the month of May, tapering off as we get closer to the end of the month.

The Old Salt Fishing Club held their spring King of the Beach tournament this past weekend. Congratulations to L.J. Smith and his team on the "Pocket Change" which won the overall division with a 49.50 pound king. "Second Choice" with Jimmy Hasson and friends won the single engine divivion with a 28.92 pounder. Dawn Aylesworth on "Team Baitmasters" won the Ladies division with a 32.80 pound king. "Due West" and angler Max Tomaino won the youth division with a 35.28. Congratulations to all.

Tarpon have shown up in our area. Good reports are coming from the Sunshine Skyway bridge. Tarpon were also hooked by kingfishermen slow trolling live baits along the Gulf beaches.

The 74th Annual Suncoast Tarpon Roundup starts May 24 and runs through August 2. The Roundup has gone to an All-Release format this year. For more information and registration forms go to www.suncoasttarponroundup.org .

Look for some terrific shows coming up on "Hooked on Fishing" these next two months. I will be fishing with Capt. Scott and Justin Moore for everything that bites, Capt. Mark Noe for Tampa Bay snook and the "Big Daddy", Capt. Jim Bradley, for shallow water grouper. Don't miss this one. Capt. Larry McQuire will be taking the HOF film crew offshore for permit, grouper and amberjack and I will be going north to Disney World, where I'll be fishing the Disney lakes for largemouth bass. Yesterday, I filmed with Capt. Gus Muench and we caught blue crabs and stone crabs on Capt. Gus's Crabby Adventures. To top the day off, we went back to Gus house and ate our catch under the shade of palm trees on his dock. If you would like to know more about how you and your friends could go with Gus and do what we did check out www.crabbyadventures.com .

My new book, "Fish Smart - Catch More", is out and available at www.billmiller.com. The cost is $19.95 which includes shipping and handling.
Fishing should be great for the next few months. If you would like to go fishing, call my son Capt. Billy Miller at 813-363-9927. Billy has been catching lots of fish and is ready to show you a fun time on Tampa Bay. More info, including rates, is available at www.billmiller.com.
Have an enjoyable summer and good fishing!

Best regards,
Capt. Bill

 813-363-9927
www.billmiller.com