Holiday Fishing Tampa Bay

Fishing Tampa Bay during the Holidays!

Its the most wonderful time of the year! Tis the season spreading the Holiday Cheer as we approach Christmas time. After filling our bellies and giving Thanks on Thanksgiving Day, it is time to gear up for the shopping madness as we approach the end of the year. While though there will be a lot of shopping going on, there will also be a lot of fishing to be had as well. Fishing during the Holidays can be beneficial due to less boat traffic on the water, as people start to plan out the final days of the year, whether it is shopping, planning a party, or even travelling. Meanwhile, while all of this is going on we will be on the waters of Tampa Bay with the fish to ourselves on most days. Fishing during this time of year can be tricky though as we battle constant cold fronts making the water temperatures change daily. That is why it is important to utilize the tools you have on your boat such as a chart plotter or a bottom reader to find different areas that will have different water temps. I my self, personally use Sim Rad as both my chart plotter and my bottom reader. In my opinion, provides the best clarity in detail when it comes to imaging and bottom reads. I pair it with a chip call Florida Marine Tracks which gives me almost the same view as if I was looking at google maps, giving me the knowledge to find different areas in which I believe will be holding more fishing due to warmer water.

Some of the things I look for on the maps during my Tampa Fishing Charter after a cold front roars through and brings down the water temperature are areas where I believe would be producing warmer water. These areas can include but not limited too, entrances to Creeks, Channels, and Sandy/Muddy bottom. The reasons while try to look for these, is because with creeks and channels the water moves faster through these spots. When the water is moving faster this warms the water up slightly more than other areas where the water is more still. Even the fewest degrees warmer will more than likely get the fish to be more aggressive instead of lethargic and waiting for the water to warm up a few days past a cold front. These areas are also better due to the amount of fish travelling through them during the winter season. It is certain that fish know when it is time to start hunkering back in the back country as we approach the cold months. They will rest and prey on slow moving baits until the water starts to warm up again, and at that time they will start to move out of the back country areas and creeks back on the flats and into bay.

Another area I love to target are the muddy / sandy bottoms adjacent to these channels and creeks. The reason being is as the sun comes out eventually it does warm up the bottom and when the tide comes in it gives you that few degrees warmer that you are seeking. These will make great areas to target Redfish and Gator trout. These predators will take advantage during this window of opportunity during the day to feed in these areas before sheltering back in the mouths of the creeks and channels at night. Since Muddy bottoms warm up the fastest and hold heat more, it is a good tactic to aim for fishing an outgoing tide in a creek mouth because all that water pushing out of the creek has warmed up the previous day and this will indeed give you that warmer water temp you have been looking for.

Baits of choice

During the colder months, it is not uncommon to use shrimp for your bait of choice. Main reason why is because a shrimp does not move as fast a scaled sardine / pilchard, and also because Pilchards can be hard to get as they move down into the deeper water, which makes them harder to catch. Snook, Trout, and Redfish will all prey on the Shrimp during these times regardless but if you can catch Pilchards (white bait) then go for it because I always believe the fish rather have a cheese burger (Pilchard) than a French fry (shrimp). If live bait is not your thing, winter fishing with a fly or an artificial bait can be very productive. This not only allows you to cover more water when locating fish but it makes for a very fun time sight casting this predators and watching them eat your lure and or fly. These months carry what we call negative tides, which are tides that push all the water out of Tampa bay leaving just few areas that you are able to fish, mainly channels, creeks, and depressions on the flats. There is nothing more exciting then approaching a depression on a flat that is holding redfish. When the water is low, these fish will sit in these holes/depression waiting for an easy snack to go by. So when approaching the flat look for Tails sticking out of the water because these are what we call tailing Redfish and usually when the tails are sticking up that means the fish are eating the crustaceans in the sand and grass. This makes it great time to either push pole to them on your skiff or even get out and wade to them since you will be only in less than of a foot of water. Some of the Lures of choice to use if you prefer to use this technique would contain a weedless gold Spoon, weedless swim bait of your choice, or D.O.A shrimp works well. As far as fly fishing is concerned, I find a crab or shrimp pattern fly is hard for the fish to resist when slowing stripping it in front of them, making it an easy eat. If you in the market of any plastics to using for swim baits, you can not go wrong with Slayer, D.O.A, and Berkely Gulp products. These are typically my go to’s when fishing on my Fishing Charters Tampa trips or even when tournament fishing.

So in the end, rather you prefer shopping for the Holidays while sipping a pumpkin space latte or planning that end of the year party, keep in mind the fishing is great this time of year. Find some time to take out family or friends on a memorable trip, Fishing Tampa Bay. As a full time Tampa Bay Fishing Guide we will be happy to help you make those memories by having you on our boat and making sure you have the best time that can be had while enjoying the great outdoors that Tampa has to offer. Also, if your looking for that great Christmas present, we offer gift certificates for stocking stuffers too. This is a gift that keeps on giving. Merry Christmas and tight lines!