Tampa Bay Fishing Charters
Why Visit Tampa, Florida
Here in Tampa, Florida we get a lot of visitors from out of state and even out of the country sometimes, whom like to visit here for our beaches, shops, sports games, and fishing. Some of the most popular areas for the beaches include but not limited to Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Ft. Desoto Beach, Pass a Grille beach, Honey mo0n Island, Anclote Key, and Ana Maria Island. These places get a lot of attention due to there pristine Sandy shores full of sea shells and breathe taking ocean views from the shore line with the waves crashing onto the beach. It really is such a surreal moment that makes you appreciate the good things in life and helps to slow down time in a life that really feels fast pace at moments. In many of these areas there are little town shops that sell a wide array of things from beach life signs to marine life aluminum statues to help decorate your house as if it was beach side, if that style is your sort of thing. After basking in the sun, enjoying the sounds of the waves and the seagulls chirping, it is quite pleasant visiting these shops just to soak in a little bit of Air condition and to view the wide array of art, many of the artists have down here. When spending a couple of days on the Beach or even shopping around, many folks like to participate in Fishing Charters in order to truly experience what Florida has to offer. There are many other things you can do in Tampa, and social platforms such as Visit Tampa Bay or even Visit Florida will give you some ideas if being outdoors is not your thing. When people come to fish Tampa, that is where I come in. I am full time Tampa Bay Fishing Guide whom has over 25 years fishing experience fishing these waters we call home. On our Fishing Charters Tampa Bay we strive to give you the best possible experience possible fishing while enjoying being out doors.
What to expect on our Tampa Fishing Charters
So have you even wondered what to expect when hiring a Tampa Fishing Guide. Well here in this section we will give you a break down of the itinerary on what to expect when you book a Tampa Fishing Charter. Once you have completed your search for a Fishing Charter and have selected one to fit your needs, and deposit has been paid. The next steps in the sequence are pretty simple. We would then reach out to you and give you pickup time and Location such as the boat ramp in which we will be picking you up for your fishing charter. When we pick you up, expect a clean boat and live well full bait, along with a cooler of ice for you to throw you drinks and snacks in. We come already prepared with live bait so that way when you first step on the boat we go fishing for the full time and not waste anytime catching bait during your trip hours. We really pride ourselves or doing that because it takes a lot of work to find the bait early morning as it can move during, tides, moon phases, time of year, and of course pressure. Staying on top of the live bait game is something very crucial to your fishing charter because simply, without bait there is no fishing trip, right? So now, that you have stepped on the boat and the live well is full, we start heading off to the fishing grounds. On our Tampa Fishing Charters trips, we have 0ptions you can select from. Whatever option you select will determine the place of travel to target the specific species you are looking for. For example, we offer Tarpon Fishing Charters and Flats and Bay Charters. Tarpon Charters will be strictly targeting the Silver King himself, the Tarpon, while Flats and Bay trips consists, of fishing some of the reefs we have inside Tampa Bay and also the Flats, along with the surrounding Creeks that makes Tampa Bay such a great estuary for many species of Fish. On the Flats and Bay trips, some of the species you will encounter are but not limited too, Redfish, Snook, Speckle Trout, Spanish Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, Snapper, Grouper, Sharks, Flounder, Pompano, Cobia, Ladyfish, Triple Tail, and the infamous Catfish. We always go with what is biting the best since a lot of the species are seasonal and fishing for them are better during some months compared to others. But if you do have a certain species in made that you really like to target then always let us know, so we can make that happen for you. As you are fishing during the trip, we will consistently bait your hooks keeping a live pilchard on for you at all times unless we are using the dead bait technique which at times works, especially in the hotter months. Along with baiting your hooks, we also remove your catch from the hook, then take pictures for you in which we will send to you after the trip is over, so that way you do not have to waste time pulling out your phone and risk it getting slimy or falling overboard. Once the fishing trip time frame has been completed we will then head back to the dock, where then we will clean your catch, if any fish were kept during the charter. Afterwards, many people like to enjoy there fish at restaurants that provide what we call Catch and Cook. Where you catch your fish and the restaurant will cook them afterwards. There is nothing more fresher than an experience of a Catch and Cook in Tampa Bay.
Fishing Report Tampa Bay
What has been biting in Tampa Bay? We are officially in the hottest months of the year, that we get to experience here in Tampa Bay. The trending weather pattern of our westerly winds and present El Nino surrounding us, has made it as hot as it can be. So that is why on our Fishing Charters Tampa Bay we have been getting earlier starts to our days, with pickup times being around 6:30 in the morning to get the best bite possible. It has been working out well lately with Speckle Trout, Sharks, Snapper, and Snook hitting the decks on our most recent Tampa Fishing Charters outings. The water Temperatures have been hoovering in the 90 degree range with some days being cooler than others depending if it rained on the previous evening. The Speckle Trout you can find in deeper water columns around the edges of grassy flats, stalking pilchards and threadfins as they head onto the shallow area of the flat, as well as any type of deep water structure such as reefs, or Oyster beds that are submerged in 8 ft of water or higher. Even though you can go catch your limit of trout using an wide range of artificial baits, our bait of choice is using live Pilchards this time of year since they are so plentiful. Using a 7’6 medium action rod paired with a 3000 series spinning reel from Penn, stringed with 15lb braid and 25lb leader line, rigged with 2/0 circle hook has been producing good numbers.
Shark Fishing Tampa
The Sharks have certainly invaded Tampa Bay and during summer the adult Bull Sharks swim up inside Tampa Bay to lay their pups before heading back offshore. Tampa Bays Estuary give them a nice place to spawn so their babies can thrive in the deeper waters channels, creeks, and rivers until they mature and head offshore. Another reason we get a big influx of Sharks this time of year is due to Tarpon. When the Tarpon Migration starts to happen from Key West Florida all the way up the Nature Coast of Florida, the Sharks such as the Bull Shark and Hammer Head Shark like to chase them down the beaches in hopes of getting a tasty meal in the end. Some of the sharks we catch on our Flats and Bay fishing charters consist of the Bonnet Head Shark, Atlantic Sharp Nose Shark, Black tip Sharks, Nurse Sharks, and Sandbar Sharks. It really does not take much to the sharks into a feeding frenzy. All you would have to do is find a highway such as a deep channel with water flow and start chumming. They say sharks have a sense of smell where they can smell blood from a mile away. As you are chumming they will be getting closer and closer in order for you to throw out a dead bait such as a Jack Crevalle, Spanish Mackerel, or a Ladyfish for a easy snack. Tackle recommendations for these toothy critters, would include a stout 8 foot extra heavy rod paired with a 10000 series spinning reel with minimum 50lb braid, 12/0 circle hook, with 100lb leader, and even at times steel leader will be needed depending on the shark size you are targeting. The bigger size sharks will really test your strength so be ready for a long drawn fight when battling the predators of the Ocean.
Snapper Fishing Tampa Bay
When the water temperatures heat up to 90 degrees that can mean only one thing, Snapper time! During the summer months here in Tampa Bay the water will warm pretty good sending the Grey Snapper also known as Mangrove Snapper up in the Bay to spawn. When the fry bait shows up, which is basically the hatchlings the Pilchards produce, the snapper bite really turns on as they can not resist a small profile live bait in front of their face is properly placed. You can net the fry bait on the flats in the early morning throwing a 10 foot cast net with 1/4inch mese size in order to prevent on gilling the bait. Finding the snapper inside Tampa Bay is quite simple, all you have to do is find structure. Whether that be an artificial reef in the middle of Tampa Bay or perhaps a rock pile. These structures hold fish, as well as the local bridges in away such as Sky Way Bridge, Howard Franklin Bridge, and Gandy Bridge. A good presentation would be to setup and anchor up current from what ever structure you are targeting and throw out a chum bag or even cut up slivers of bait to start a chum line to get the fish out of the structure and into the water column to feed. It is quite the site to see when doing soo as you will literally drift your baits back into in the feeding frenzy and hooking up consistently to get your quick limit of fish. Using a medium action 7’6 rod paired with a 3000 series Penn spinning setup, stringed with 15lb braid and 20lb leader, rigged with 1/0 circle hook will get the job done. As far as weight is concerned depending on how fast the current is will determine weight, if no current when a small split shot or even a free line bait will work winders where as if the current is really strong, the fish like to hunker down into the structure to ambush baits and a heaving weight is needed such as a 1 oz egg sinker , knocker rigged style in order to help keep the bait down in the target zone. The limit of Snapper currently in the Gulf Coast is 5 per person, with minimum size of 10 inches total length. Always check current regulations when heading out because rules can change rather quickly from day to day.
Snook Fishing Tampa Bay Summer time
When people travel to Tampa Bay for a Fishing Charter, one of the requests we frequently get is, are we a able to catch a Snook. We get a lot Snook down here in Florida as they are a sub tropical fish whom thrives in warmer water temps and hates cold water. Even though there as been reports of Snook being caught up to our Panhandle of the state, the more plentiful fish are locating here in Gulf Coast Florida and South to the Ever Glades City Florida. During the Summer months, the Snook take advantage of the hotter water temperatures and Spawn just right off our Beaches. It is not uncommon to enjoy a nice walk on the beach early hours before all the foot traffic and boat traffic come out for the day and spot snook just swimming and cruising the shallows of the beach. Typically the fish on the beach will be great in size as they are spawning before heading back into out back country waters where they typically prefer to hang out for fall all the way through winter time. Baits of choice can vary for this time of year, but on our Fishing Charters Tampa Bay using live pilchards and cut bait have producing good numbers. One of my favorite ways to target the snook, especially in the back country is on a high tide and on the shadow lines of the Mangrove trees. Tail hooking a pilchard and tossing him into the darkness of the shadow as you feel the line vibrate because he is nervous which then leads to the Snook crushing him, will definitely get your blood flowing. Using a 7ft medium heavy rod paired with a 4000 or 3000 series spinning reel, rigged with 20lb braid and 30lb leader will be good enough to get the snook out of the bushes. However, if you plan on going for some of the bigger Snook along the beaches, then increasing your leader size to at least 60lb will be more advisable, since Snook have razor sharp gill plates that will cut your line like it is butter.
In conclusion, as you can tell there is plenty to do down here in Tampa Bay. Whether it is beach walking and shopping with the wife or family or even making those memories reeling in the big one on our Tampa Fishing Charters, there is a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy. Check out our other blogs on artificial lure tips and tricks and also the complete guide on what to know for 2026 for hints and tips for next outdoor excursion. Some come enjoy a day on the water with a full time Tampa Fishing guide and make some memories of a life time on your next adventure.