Terra Ceia Bay and portions of lower Tampa Bay are made up of a combination of sand, rock, shell, grass and patches of live hard bottom with lots of activity. Corals, sponges, mollusks and an assortment of creatures abound on these spots.

Drifting depths of 5 to 16 feet of water will move you over some of these spots. They are easily found just by listening for the telltale sounds of something that sounds like Rice Krispies just after you pour milk over them.

It's those "snap, crackle and popping" sounds that give it away. Whenever you do drift over these areas, hit the waypoint save feature on your GPS to mark the spot for future use.

Live hard bottom will usually hold baitfish, attracted to plankton and other minute food objects that dwell on these live areas. The bait will remain there seeking food and shelter.

These are the areas I check out first when I'm scouting species such as Spanish mackerel, black sea bass, grouper, mangrove snapper, flounder and tarpon. It's all about the food chain, and these areas typically have everything to sustain life from the lowest form of life at the bottom to the top of the chain, which are the predators I seek.

If you're in more of a hurry to find these areas and don't want to spend time drifting, keeping a close eye on the depth finder will reveal these areas, particularly on a good color recorder, such as the Lowrance I use.

Other ways to find these spots include watching for dimpling on the surface, such as rain hitting the water on calm days. Bait schools will hover over these spots as they are balled up by predators moving in to feed.

Til then...catch ya later!

Capt. Ray Markham
(941) 723-2655
E-mail: flatback@tampabay.rr.com