Fishing Charters Tampa
The weather is cooling down as we received our first front of the year. Even though the front did not bring the cold artic air down here to Florida it has certainly has cooled the water temps some, which make for some fantastic fishing. We still have a lot of tiny bait around since the bait spawn this past month but that will soon change as these live baitfish known as pilchards start to get bigger. The fish we are catching are still zoned in on the tiny baits still but that as well will soon change. All sorts of fish love the tiny baits however, including Tarpon, Triple Tail, Redfish, Snook, Snapper, Mackerel, and Trout. They are definitely plentiful right now and your best bet to catch them is using a cast net around a quarter inch mesh, in order not to gill them in your net. The best technique is to save the smaller ones you get for chum and choose the slightly bigger ones to use for bait. I myself like to rig these tasty baits on a 1/0 circle hook with a snap on bobber with a pinch weight just beneath the bobber. This gives you the capability to cast the bait further. As the bait gets bigger in the upcoming months you can then just use the circle and the bait to get that casting difference. Along with catching bait in the morning you may also catch pinfish as they are also plentiful. Most anglers like to discard them from their live well but I like to keep them as they also make good bait, especially the smaller ones. You can rig the pin fish with a 2/0 circle hook hooked behind the head with a split shot just above the hook. This will allow you to cast further and really focus on making accurate casts near the mangrove edges during high tide. The pinfish will swim around in that one spot putting off vibrations in which will entice the fish to strike it. Predators such as Redfish and Snook love a good live pinfish just hanging around the mangroves stranded, and they will certainly pick it up for an easy meal.
The Mullet run
In fall you may have heard of the Mullet run in and around Tampa Bay. This is when schools of mullet like to gather up in schools and roam the canals, nearshore passes, and flats. When these mullet schools form up they also bring with them predators that like to eat them or use their foraging to scrape up an easy meal in their tracks or also known as highways. Finding these Mullet schools in Fall is a sure way to put fish in the boat. Using the cut bait technique really works well for this experience, the reason being is when these mullet swim through they like to kick up the sand and grass which then brings out shrimp, crabs, and baitfish. Snook and Redfish really hone in on the stirred up ground to find their lunch, which is using a piece of cut bail in these Mullet schools is a top choice. The fish can not resist and piece of cut ladyfish and Pinfish just sitting on the bottom as the mullets roaming through it. Mullet also make good table fare as well if you like smoking fish. Smoked Mullet is a real treat down here in the South if you do not mind throwing you cast net on them or even using a big snatch hook and snagging them. Mullet really only eat microscopic plants, algae, and organic debris, so catching them on cut bait or a live bait is certainly out of the question, even though i have caught mullet on artificial before on accident but only a handful of times. If you prefer to chase the mullet schools nearshore along Tampa Bays passes like, Pass a Grille, Egmont, or Clearwater pass, do not be surprise if you run into Tarpon. Tarpon love to eat this live mullet when they are bunched up and getting ready to spawn. It makes for an easy meal for them and also gives them enough protein to gather energy before they start to migrate back south where they will stay for the winter months in the warmer water.
Snook Season
When fall time comes, this means Snook are open for the season which run from March, April, September, October, and November. Slot size in our area is 28 to 33 inches total length. Snook can be tricky for this time of year as they are coming off their spawn which is typically around passes, beaches, and Reefs. It sometimes takes time for them to migrate their way to their fall spots where they will settle and eat before heading back into their winter time haunts when the water really cools off. If you time it out perfectly with a live well full of white bait and the proper tide, you are in for a real treat. They will be willingly to chew the bottom of the boat off as they feed heavily in preparation for the winter. Once they come back from their spawning areas, I like to target them on flats that are adjacent to creek mouths. Typically a higher tide works better since they really feel comfortable hanging inside the mangroves in search of their prey giving them a perfect ambush opportunity. If targeting them on the lower tides or outgoing finding the mullet schools will be key and using cut bait will be the go to in that situation. We like to use 30 pound leader tided to a 2/0 circle hook, paired with a medium action rod and 3000 series reel of your choice. This setup is not to light and also not to heavy to shy away from getting more bites and will give you the best chance on landing your fish. It is also not overkill in case a Redfish likes to come in your spread to chew down your bait.
Tarpon Tampa Bay
Even though the peak of Tarpon Season is over, it does not mean it is done completely as these majestic fish are still hanging around in numbers up inside our Bay. Just the other day on Tampa Fishing Charter we were Gag Grouper fishing a reef. As we were sitting there waiting for a Grouper to eat our pinfish I started to hear a lot of commotion behind me. Low and behold it was a giant bait pod of the tiny baits just getting destroyed by numerous Tarpon. They will milling and jumping completely out of the water just eating those tiny baits. Unfortunately all we had were pinfish since the main target was Grouper, but the following day we came better prepared with buckets of tiny bait for chum and some for live in the live well. We matched the hatch and went down on our tackle using only a 4/0 circle hook and 50 pound leader. We would start the chum line using handfuls of tiny bait and then drifting back a bait on the hook and it was game on. Tarpon will pretty much hang around our Tampa Bay waters until the very first real cold front arrives where the arctic air is pushed over our state. During this time the Tarpon will mostly leave our estuary and start going back south to Florida Keys Region. Some Tarpon will still hand around in which we like to call them resident fish where they will find safe haven back up in the Rivers and bypass canals until the water starts to warm up again.
Spanish Mackerel Fishing Tampa
When driving from spot to spot over Tampa Bay, always be on the look out for birds during fall. When locating birds, this means you have found the fish. The birds like to pick over the baits that are being brought to the surface of the water trying to get away from predators below them that include but not limited to Jack Crevalle, Spanish Mackerel, Tarpon, and Ladyfish. It really makes for an easy catch when you see the fish start thrashing the waters around you chasing the bait pods we get for Fall time. Using a fly setup really makes for fun day on the water when you experience this. Simply using a Clouser Minnow fly which mimics a tiny bait fish will certainly get you some strikes as you are stripping the fly through the bait schools. You can also use a medium size setup like you would for Snook and Redfish with a heavier leader such as 40 pound with a J hook tied on to get your Mackerel limit pretty fast. Spanish Mackerel are good table fare but even better when used for smoked fish dip. If you are unable to locate these bait pods across the bay or can not spot any birds, then using a chum bag on some of the inside reefs or even around the Sky Way Bridge will produce a for sure way of catching fish as they will be heaving attracted to the oil being released from your chum bag.
Tampa Bay Gag Grouper
This year we will able to get 3o days for Grouper Fishing for our Southwest Region instead of two weeks like it has been in the past. This gives anglers the opportunity to fish locally and travel far in hopes of coming back with a tasty meal without needing to go way offshore. Tampa Bay is not only an estuary for the prime suspects, Redfish, Snook, and Trout but it is also home for the Gag Grouper. Our estuary offers many spots and locations to fish for this tasty species. Areas such as the Sky Way Bridge, Inshore reefs, and edges of shipping channels just to name a few. The most common spot to fish for Gag Grouper inside Tampa Bay are the shipping channels going to Old Port Tampa and also Port Manatee. Grouper like to hang on the edges of these channels due to the dredging that occurs in order for the big barges that transport goods into our city. When dredging all the natural limestone hard bottom is sliced up and accumulated on the edges making really good rock piles to fish. These rock piles are home to many fish including Grouper, Snapper, Flounder, Mackerel, and Tarpon. The best time to really fish these spots are during the last and first moments of the tide since the current will not be moving to fast to keep and bait down. Also the fish prefer the slowing moving water since they use this window to come out of the rock piles in search of they meal. Once the water starts moving fast again they like to hunker back down into their ledges and holes where they feel safe and can ambush baits as they roll on the bottom by them. When fishing the slower tides, free lining a pinfish is your beast bet since pinfish like to swim to the bottom, unlike a pilchard which stays mid column of the water a majority of the time. During this window of opportunity it is also a good idea to start chumming any dead baits you have or tiny baits. Doing this will really increase your odds of catching a fish since you will be basically calling them out of their homes and into your chum line to eat your bait. Once you start to notice the tide picking up speed again, you then can use a knocker rig, which a egg weight that slides up and down your leader line to you hook. Always match the weight of the egg weight with the current movement. If the movement is fast then increase your weight size so your bait stays in the target zone for the fish to eat.
Trolling for Grouper in Tampa Bay
Many anglers like to bottom fish for grouper in the bay, but a large portion also like to troll for them as well. Trolling is a good technique on locating the Grouper but also on locating different rock piles that you can later on come back to and fish a bait on the bottom in case the trolling was not effective. When trolling finding the right speed for the lure to be dragged behind the boat is crucial. Typically 3 to 5 knots is a good speed to start but always adjust when heading into the current or away from it. Locations are typically the same when bottom fishing for grouper such as the edges of the shipping channel or random rock piles near reefs. I like to normally bottom fish for Grouper first thing in the morning, and then when it heats up, we like to troll just to cool down sometimes on our Fishing Charters Tampa. You can use a large assortment of lures for Trolling for Tampa Bay Grouper, but some of the most popular ones are the diving plugs with the big lips that range between 20 to 30 feet of water. Also just a 6 to 8 ounce buck tail jig with a soft plastic big grub is also a good choice when trolling the waters. The biggest thing is to always make sure it is dragging near the bottom. Rule of the thumb is, if you are not getting snagged from time to time on something then you are not deep enough. Other hotspots for Gag Grouper Fishing is off the Nature Coast of Florida like Hudson and Anclote Key. There are numerous rock piles and hard bottom to be found within 10 miles of these areas. During Stone Crab season it is certainly not a bad idea to venture out that way to locate the Stone Crab traps since Stone Crabs love the same areas that Grouper like to hang around in. Although Grouper is closed by then, you pretty much are putting time in to find areas you can fish for Grouper for when the season does open again you will be equipped enough to have a great day on the water.
In conclusion, as the fall time settles in the Tampa Bay region, it is a great time to get a pumpkin spice latte and hit the water in search for your favorite species. There is tons of action to be had no matter what target fish you are hunting for. Give us a shout if you like to experience some of the great fishing Tampa Bay has to offer for fall time. Join us with a full time Fishing Guide Tampa Bay in search for your trophy fish, a tasty meal, or even just to make memories with friends and family.