April 2022
spring fishing funFishing has been fantastic this month and a lot of fun with lots of fish being caught running a fishing charter from st. Pete, FL. The primary suspects have been mostly snook with redfish making a comeback in large numbers. This time of year bait is plentiful and fish are seeking to find that tasty little morsel called the scaled sardine or also known as whitebait. You can locate them on structure or on the flats by using fish food and jack mackerel. If you’re the artificial type you can through topwater plugs in the morning and switch to swim baits or spoons in the afternoon to resemble the scaled sardine. The water temp is climbing and the tarpon migration is on the rise. This time of year of it is not uncommon to run a fishing charter in st. Pete, Fl to Sarasota as the migration follows the coast.
September 2022
As we approach Fall time, the weather is starting to break from its hot streak and cooler mornings are starting to happen! Fall time is one of my favorite times of the year to fish because the fish start to move around more frequently instead of being lethargic and just sitting around in hot water being lazy, It is not uncommon to locate pods of redfish on the prowl destroying any baits that are in their way or big snook blasting baits in creeks. So come out and enjoy an awesome day on Tampa Bay with us!
November 2022
Fall time fishing Tampa BayAs the days are cooling down and the fronts become more consistent, fish can feel the weather change and are on the move! This is the time of year to bust out the artificials or fly and go on a hunting expedition, stalking the flats for your trophy. It is also a great time of year to still throw live bait if you can still find either in the skinny water mud or deeper water structure. Which either tactic you prefer this can be an awesome time fishing Tampa Bay as the water clears up and negative tides start coming, you can see what is actually out there with the right patience.
February 2023
The Weather is warming up and the snook and redfish are starting to come out of Tampa Bays creeks, canals, and river. As they head out of their winter time haunts you find them bundled up on the Flats with nice grass and sand holes pitching pilchards or cut ladyfish .
May 2023
As Springtime closes out, we welcome summertime in which is a great time to target migrating species that roam our Gulf waters of Tampa Bay. Some of the sought after species people target are Tarpon also known as the silver king, Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, and Triple Tail… As numerous bait pods cruise down our gulf and pour into Tampa Bay, these targeted species follow the bait schools. What is really cool about this time of year is, if you time it right on the new and full moon, we get something called a crab flush in which all the water goes out of Tampa Bay and with that brings baby crabs that go out with it… Since the tide pushes all of them out of the bay Tarpon stage up at ambush points picking up these tiny morsels for an easy meal so they can fatten up to get ready for their yearly spawn. If Tarpon is not your thing you still have Cobia and Triple Tail, you can target hitting the buoys and markers that are setup through out the Bay area. As far as Spanish Mackerel just look for bait pods thrashing and birds diving to hunt down these fish which make for a good meal day of or smoked fish dip which is my personal favorite. Tight lines and have fun!
June 2023
As we head into the summertime, you can expect fishing to heat up along with the weather. This time of year, we like to start our trips early since the water temps are high, and the storms come through Tampa Bay by late afternoon times primarily. As the weather heats up, so does the fishing and some of the targeted species we will go after will be, Spanish mackerel, snook, redfish, tarpon, snapper, grouper, triple tail, sharks, black drum and cobia. Pretty much the wide variety of species is open if you can time everything just right. Our trips would be consisted of hitting the flats early depending on the tides and throw cut bait which consists of thread herring, pinfish, and pilchards along the mangrove tree shadow line where the fish like to sit in cooler water and ambush their prey. As the weather heats up our go to is to find moving water since at these points it will be a little cooler for them to lay in. At times if we find our self in the middle of the day where the day is the hottest, we will target deeper water and bridges since these areas will be more suitable temperature wise due to deeper water and shade provided by the bridges. We cover all areas, from south shore, Ana Maria, Egmont key, ft Desoto, St. Pete, Tampa Bay, Safety Harbor, and Clear water to find the best possible bite for you. If tarpon is your things, these majestic creatures will still be around as they work their way back from being off shore from spawning, starting their reverse migration pattern going back south. So take your pick on what you want to target and give us a shout, we will be more than happy to accommodate you on your dream catch or even if it’s just a nice relaxing day on the water you’re looking for. Until then tight lines and calm seas, go catch them up!
July 2023
Summer time here Tampa, Florida continues on as temperatures reach into the high 90’s. Thus, in return brings our water temperatures up as well which means tactics change and so does the species that we target through out the year, During these hot times fishing is still great though targeting Redfish, Snook, Trout, Spanish Mackerel, Mangrove Snapper (Grey Snapper), Triple Tail, Sharks, and Black Drum. During the summer time these species roam our Tampa Waters in search of food and refuge as they start to migrate in Fall time except for the common residential species such as the Redfish, Snook, and Speckle Trout whom happen to live in our estuary through out the year, One of the reasons these species come into the Bay area is largely due to the amounts of fry bait that has the tendency to show up after the Pilchards (scaled sardines) lay their hatch and head to deeper water again, This Fry bait, in which we call the hatch grows up in a matter of months and works really well even when small. When using the fry bait you can except to get on the mangroove snapper pretty well hitting up the Tampa Bay reefs and wrecks we have around the area. While fishing these reefs and wrecks, you can start chumming a lot of the fry bait to start attracting other common species such as sharks and Spanish Mackerel making it a great day of fishing. One thing I looking toward to coming into August and September will be the schools of Redfish that start to prowl our flats areas in search of these Pilchards that will be roaming in the bay for the months to come. So even though the weather is hot so is the fishing, just switch up the tactics and have fun!
August 2023
Things are heating up in Tampa Bay, as the weather is the warmest has its been all year and the water temps are up quite a bit. During these days showers and storms are welcome in order to bring down the water temperature a notch, so that its more tolerable for the fishery. During these times, the snapper bite is at its finest as they are getting full, fat, and happy so they can spawn. They definitely make for a great meal and for the sportfishing type of days, the Redfish as well move inside the bay to fill up for their spawn run later in the year. The snook bite will still remain great, focusing on areas of shade provided by mangrove tree lines and moving water would be the best ambush point for them to prey on the plentiful scaled sardine (pilchards) which still invade the Bay. The best times to fish will definitely be early and evening times as temperatures are at the coolest points of the day during these time frames. If you can get a low tide and a sunset with a flat filled with life it will not be uncommon to find your pot of gold (Redfish Schools) prowling and tailing around looking for a meal. So even though the summer is winding down and the kids are going back to school, the fishing is still hot with a wide variety of species to choose from. Another species to add on the list to try and target for a great meal will be the Gag Grouper, as they are open starting September 1st and closes November 15th. You can find this delicious fish targeting some of the hard bottom the Bay produces starting at the Shipping Channel from the Port of Tampa through and under the Sky Way Bridge. Dead bait which includes Threadfin Herring, Shad, and pinfish or live bait should all produce. However, be sure to bring both since at times they can be picky and switching up baits may be the trick during some of the toughest days. No matter what your targeting, just have fun and enjoy day out on the water. Tight lines!
