Ask most sportsmen about the action on Tampa Bay and they’ll say it’s a “blast.” Practically speaking, that colloquialism usually starts with a “cast” to snook, redfish, trout and the like.

Tampa Bay duck hunter take aim over a palmetto frond blind and a decoy spread.

However, the blast and the cast are often separate, but related, elements of a truly unique experience that mixes fins and feathers for what is locally called a “blast and cast” trip. An early morning duck hunt, followed by cool season fishing, provides a double dose of outdoors indulgence during a period when the bay sees an annual decline in activity.

Indeed, while many have cozied up to the TV, preferring football games over the meager pickings of late fall-winter fishing, Tampa Bay reveals its oft-overlooked gems of sporting potential. Those who seek, find more than meets the eye.

As with fishing, the hunting side often settles into a waiting game punctuated with sudden spikes in adrenalin. A lot of low crouching, neck craning and eye-squinting can lull you into lethargy, but mind and body snap into readiness the second those winged bowling pin silhouettes appear against the hazy sky.

KNOW YOUR TARGET

Florida hunters typically seek puddleducks such as bluewing and greenwing teal, wigeon, mottled duck (a.k.a. Florida mallard), pintail and resident greenhead mallards; and to a lesser extent, diving ducks like bluebill (scaup), ringnecks and mergansers. Preferred by most hunters, the primarily herbivorous diet of puddle ducks produces mild, tasty meat, while their shallow marsh and river habitation makes them easier to hunt.

In part two of a blast-and-cast day, a retriever judges a seatrout a little on the short side.

Conversely, divers feed on baitfish and mollusks so theirs is usually a gamier flesh. Moreover, their affinity for open water means a broader search.

Capt. Chet Jennings, who runs blast and cast trips out of Shell Point Marina in Ruskin, said the Florida mallard generally takes top billing for sport and tablefare. A wily bird, this one is tough to fool. And as the largest of the puddleducks, it yields a hefty portion of highly prized meat. Only downside is the daily bag limit of one per person—a point easily missed in an unrestrained flurry.

“Identifying these birds in flight is very important,” Jennings said. “You have to have a little bit of experience and know-how so you’re not shooting over your limit. If you just start blasting ducks out of the sky, you could end up in a very bad spot.

“It takes a little study to know the difference. That’s my job, to tell clients when to shoot.”

Like fighter pilots memorizing aircraft outlines, experienced hunters learn to detect subtle identifying elements of a duck’s shape and flight pattern, even when distance blurs coloration. One resource for waterfowl identification is www.ducks.org.

WHEN & WHERE

The open waters of Old Tampa Bay, particularly the expanses south of the Courtney Campbell Causeway (Hwy. 60) hold vast numbers of diving ducks during winter, but lower Tampa Bay’s extensive backwater systems such as the mouths of the Alafia and Manatee rivers, as well as Cockroach Bay and Bishop’s Harbor, offer tremendous puddleduck habitat.

The same flats boats used for snook, redfish and trout pursuits will suffice, but during low tide, airboats excel at scooting over treacherously skinny spots and into waterfowl wonderland. Much of this game involves tromping through chilly water, so you’ll need neoprene chest waders. Stocking foot styles used with separate wading boots are best, as this allows you to shed the waders if the weather warms.

Unlike well-defined fishing holes, locating good duck spots is more a function of watching and patterning the birds. Look for food sources like tender shoalgrass (thin blades), fresh water and plenty of nearby roosting spots. Subsequent years typically see at least some regularity of return, so keep a thorough hunting log.

“It’s like anything else, you got to go out and beat the bushes,” Jennings said. “See what you can find, and remember what you see. Take in all the elements like water depth, wind direction and vegetation. Then go out and try to find that pattern in other places.”

For early hunts, you should be ready to shoot at least 15 minutes before sunup. With ducks flying in and looking for food, any commotion will alert them to your presence. Once the birds make their daybreak move, they may sit down for several hours, so if you’re not set up early enough, you may miss the morning action.