No Result
View All Result
Tampa Magazines
  • Local Knowledge
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Moving Tampa
  • Sporting
  • Health
  • Tampa Culture
  • ADVERTISE
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • ABOUT
  • PURCHASE A COPY
  • DIGITAL ISSUES
  • EMAIL NEWSLETTERS
  • CONTACT US
  • SHOP
  • MY ACCOUNT
    • Your Membership
    • Profile
    • Update Billing Card
    • Login / Logout
Tampa Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Tampa Magazine
No Result
View All Result

Searching for Kingfish with Madeira Beach’s Dave Zalewski

For one of Tampa Bay's most seasoned anglers, a lifetime at sea isn't just about what you pull out of the Gulf -- it's what you put back in.

by Derek Herscovici
September 19, 2018
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Time has been called a flowing river, but for captain Dave Zalewski, 75, it’s more of an ebbing sea. Guiding tours across generations — sometimes literally — aboard his 37-foot Bertram yacht the Lucky Too III for nearly 40 years, few understand the mysteries of the Gulf of Mexico like he does.

“Every day is like a kaleidoscope out there,” Zalewski says. “We see sea turtles, sharks, occasionally a whale shark, dolphins, sea birds, and the fish are always there. I’m amazed at the color of saltwater fish.”

From mid-October to past Christmas, kingfish, gag grouper and Spanish mackerel return from spawning and feeding in the northern gulf to ride out the winter in the warm waters south of Florida, completing the endless cycle that Zalewski calls “the ballet of nature.”

This season, as Red Tide grips Florida’s western shores, there’s never been a better time to hit the open water and fish for some of Florida’s tastiest catches: the slender, blue-bodied kingfish. The biggest difference between deep-sea fishing from near-shore fishing, however, is where the fish are going to be.

“The Gulf is like a big desert out there,” Zalewski says. “There’s oases scattered all over the place that are either shipwrecks, artificial reefs or [the area] by the chains where the buoys are. That’s a place where bait fish can seek refuge and, in turn, where the predators are seeking the bait fish.”

The kingfish will be where the bait is, Zalewski says. Good starting points are the artificial reefs five miles offshore, or the shipping channel extending 15 miles out, while Spanish mackerel sometimes are just a hundred yards from shore. Guests choose what they want to fish for and, more often than not, Zalewski finds ways to deliver.

One thing he won’t compromise on, however, is over-harvesting fish. Like seawater on rock, time and experience have shaped Zalewski’s views on the industry, particularly regarding conservation. His motto is not “catch your limit,” but “limit your catch.”

“I’m sort of a rebel in the industry [because] I don’t have the ego where I have to put a large amount of fish up on the dock to show I had a successful trip,” says Zalewski, who has taught classes at the Madeira Beach City Marina since the 1990s that cover everything from properly cleaning a fish to sustainable fishing practices. “In fact, my most successful trips are a combination of keeping enough to eat and releasing a whole lot. That’s the only way we’re going to have a future.”

DAVE ZALEWSKI has been fishing in the Tampa Bay area since 1962, operating Lucky Too Charters or almost as long. He also teaches fishing classes and is an instructor with Ladies Let’s Go Fishing.

Tags: dave zalewskifishinggulf of mexicokingfishlucky too chartersmadeira beachRed Tide
Next Post
Bern's Steak House

7 Celebrity Chef-Approved Tampa Restaurants

INSTAGRAM

We love our city❤️ TAMPA BAY! Best of the City We love our city❤️ TAMPA BAY! Best of the City voting coming soon 👀
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampaeats #thingstodointampa #tampabay
After the rain comes the rainbow 🌈 - - - - #tam After the rain comes the rainbow 🌈
-
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampabayarea #thingstodointampa #tampabay #stpetebeach #stpetersburgflorida #rainbow
Whether you want a classic cocktail or a tantalizi Whether you want a classic cocktail or a tantalizing creation, Tampa Bay has bars and lounges to please every palate and vibe 🍸

🏷️ Tag your go to cocktail spot 
-
-
-
#tampamagazine #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampaliving #thingstodointampa #tampadrinks #tamparestaurant #cocktails
Where to buy plants and flowers in Tampa Bay 🌺 Where to buy plants and flowers in Tampa Bay 🌺 tap the link in our bio for the full list. -
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampabayarea #thingstodointampa #bayshoreblvd #southtampa
We love the views from Harbour Island and the City We love the views from Harbour Island and the City of Tampa Bay! Comment your favorite thing about our city 🫶🏼✨🌞
-
-
-
#tampa #tampabay #florida #tampafl
Take a walk with us at @hydeparkvillage ⛲️- 6 Take a walk with us at @hydeparkvillage ⛲️- 6 city blocks of Tampa’s favorite restaurant’s and shops. What do you love about Hyde Park Village?
-
-
-
#tampamagazine #southtampamagazine #tampafl #tampaliving #tamparestaurants #tampashops #thingstodointampa #hydeparkvillage #tampalocal
Tampa is blessed with lots of new restaurants open Tampa is blessed with lots of new restaurants opening this year, and we are especially excited for Ro, the modern Asian and sushi restaurant coming to Hyde Park Village later this summer 🍣 We got a sneak peek of the new menu items for our Food & Wine edition 😍
-
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampabayarea #thingstodointampa #tamparestaurant #tampafoodie #tampafood #tampaeats #hydeparkvillage #tampabayeats
The port of Tampa Bay is the largest port in the s The port of Tampa Bay is the largest port in the state of Florida by land and tonnage, Comment below if you visited this beautiful port! 
-
-
-
-
#tampamagazine #tampa #portoftampa #florida #southtampa #tampabay #southflorida #cruises
Public art can express community values, enhance o Public art can express community values, enhance our environment, transform a landscape and heighten our awareness. What’s your favorite public art work in Tampa Bay? Coming soon: Art Philanthropy and Home Design Edition. Email info@TampaMagazines.com to have your business featured. 
-
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampabayarea #thingstodointampa #publicart #usfgrad #tampabayisawesome #tampaartist #tampaart
Happy 4th of July Tampa ❤️🇺🇸 - - - #tamp Happy 4th of July Tampa ❤️🇺🇸
-
-
-
#tampamagazine #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampalife #tampaliving #thingstodointampa #4thofjuly
Load More... Follow on Instagram

  • Local Knowledge
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Moving Tampa
  • Sporting
  • Health
  • Tampa Culture
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Purchase a Copy
  • Digital Issues
  • Email Newsletters
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2023 Tampa Magazine. All rights reserved. Part of the Tampa Magazines Network.

No Result
View All Result
  • Tampa Culture
  • Food and Drink
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Moving Tampa
  • Sporting
  • Health
  • Local Knowledge
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Purchase a Copy
  • Shop
  • Digital Issues
  • Email Newsletters
  • Contact
  • MY ACCOUNT
    • Your Membership
    • Profile
    • Update Billing Card
    • Login / Logout

© 2023 Tampa Magazine. All rights reserved. Part of the Tampa Magazines Network.