Best Fish and Spots for Inshore Fishing Tampa Flats
Flats Fishing hotspot Tampa
When it comes to fishing and looking at the amount of water you have available in front of you to cover, this at times can be overwhelming because where do you start? It does not have to be this way and you can always prepare your self before fishing by coming up with a plan and sticking to it to maximize the amount of fishing time you have available. Looking at Google maps or even your chart plotter will give you some ideas on where to start depending on what time of year it is and what target species you plan on going for. When hitting the Tampa Flats for some inshore fishing, you’ll want to target the top species like Snook, Tarpon, Redfish, Sea Trout, and more for thrilling battles and tasty catches. Head to Wheedon Island Flats, Fort de Soto Flats, or near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge for an abundance of redfish, snook, trout, and even black sea bass, mackerel, and grouper. Load up on live pilchards, cut mullet, or soft plastic jerk baits for the best chances at landing these prized fish. Pay attention to tides, weather patterns, and pack your gear for optimal results. Your Tampa Bay fishing adventure promises excitement and success with these local tips.
Top Fish Species in Tampa Flats
When exploring the vibrant fishing scene in Tampa Bay’s flats, you’ll encounter a diverse array of top fish species that make these shallow waters their home year-round. Tampa Bay is known for its rich marine biodiversity, offering anglers the chance to target sought-after inshore game fish species.
Among the top catches in Tampa’s flats are Snook, prized for their fighting ability and challenging nature. Tarpon, the ‘Silver King,’ are another staple of these waters, providing thrilling battles for anglers. Redfish, with their distinctive copper-colored scales, are abundant and offer exciting opportunities for sight fishing. Sea Trout, known for their tasty fillets, can be found prowling the grass flats.
Mackerel, Snapper, Flounder, and Grouper also populate the flats, adding to the excitement and variety of your fishing experience. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or a novice, Tampa Bay’s flats offer a wealth of opportunities to reel in these top fish species and create unforgettable memories on the water.
Fishing Tampa Bay Flats can be productive year round, with the right tools to use to make you a better angler in search of your prize trophy. Always pay attention to the tides and weather as they play a big role on location these fish. On our Flats Fishing Tampa Charters we always like to fish with the wind and the tide going together. The reason for the stragedy is because it creates more tidal flow and at times turns a not so hungry fish hungry. Water movement is a very important thing to remember when fishing in general as it is what makes bait fish and other prey on the bottom swim and move around, such as shrimp, crabs, mullet, and green backs. Places such as the local bridges we have such as Skyway Bridge, Howard Franklin Bridge, and Gandy Bridge are all great tidal movement areas where fish will call their home. In order to swim through out the bay fish have to travel through these areas and at times they will just stage up and call it home, to ambush their swimming prey.
As a Tampa Bay Full Time Fishing Guide we would be more than happy to get you out on the water and show you what Tampa Fishing has to offer. We offer half day and full day Flats and Bay Trips along with Tarpon trips and Sight Seeing trips if fishing is not your thing. We provide everything for you except food and drink, so please bring and we will through it on ice for you. Tight lines!