Friday, December 30, 2011

Early New Years Eve Eve Redfishing


We got out on the water about 0815 it was calm and we immediately started catching fish. Tim landed a nice Slot Red, then we stayed in the same area and really slayed them.

We kept two nice ones and threw about 10 back. Trout were biting hard too but we were really looking for Redfish and most of the trout were undersized. Here is a Video of one of the Redfish.
you couldn't have asked for a nicer morning and day on the water, I think the pictures sum it up. Tampa Redfish, are one of the most fun fish to catch.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Hot Fishing in the upper bay, Creek Channels and warmer water areas

It seems the fish are cold too...many of the places that are holding the best fish seem to be areas that have water temperatures warmer than the surrounding areas. some of these would be the upper bay areas that are shallower than normal allowing the water temperature to absorb the sun throughout the say. Many of the upper bay creeks are teaming with bait and fish. An unusually warm fall and beginning of winter has extended a very hot TROUT bite throughout the flats. I'm no weather expert BUT just seeing what is happening on the water makes me believe the Fish want to be warm too. SO if you can get out this weekend....New Years and ALL or if your on vacation from work this week. FISHING might not be a bad stress reliever and a treat for you and any of your out of town guests. If I had to choose some best bets I would say the upper Tampa bay park, Channel A, Double Branch Creek and the flats over on the Dunedin side to be some of your more productive areas. HOWEVER south near the Ft. Desoto Flats and Treasure Island area should be doing just as well.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Fishing in these FALL months

The fishing has actually been excellent. The trout seem to be everywhere and the bigger Redfish have moved into their winter hideouts like salt water lakes off Anclote River, and the Creek mouths in upper Tampa Bay. Top water and shrimp under a Popping cork have worked excellent. We went out about a week ago off Anclote Key near the lighthouse. Anchored in about 7ft of water and caught Trout all day long and we even hooked a few Spanish mackerel and Some 18-20inch blue fish. Fishing this time of year can be great a lot of fishermen slow down in the winter, myself included, and you can have the water to yourself. Good luck and Tight lines.

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Fishing Report from Capt. Rick Reddick

September 28, 2011 - Tampa Fishing Charters



Snook...wow what an excellent opportunity to prove your fish catching skills. These fish make even the most accomplished angler frustrated. In the Tampa, area we have numerous places to catch snook.

But, most local anglers are painfully aware of the devastating freeze of 2009. This is not the first time such a thing has happened. In the 1980s the Tampa Bay area experienced a similar freeze, and yet, the fish recovered in just a few years. The good news is that our fishery is recovering. Snook are still being caught by those who know how to catch them.



The snook in this picture was caught during the middle of the summer in the back country. We caught numerous snook this summer in places I did not expect to see them. When I told Bill Miller of the Hooked On Fishing T.V. what was happening, we decided to do a show and document the health of our up and coming snook fishery.

But that was the summer. It is now fall and the days of catching smaller snook in the back country is coming to an end. The bigger snook are moving into the rivers and canals to prepare for their winter survival. The white bait is every where and easy to catch. This time of year is why fisherman live in FL. If you can not tell by now, I am passionate about catching fish, especially snook. The challenge and reward for mastering these line-siders is not easily matched. I guess the only thing left to do is get out there and catch some.


http://www.captainrickreddick.com
| Tampa Fishing Charters | Tampa Fishing Guides
"

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

New Charter Captain in Local Resources: Capt. Rick Reddick


I wanted to let everyone know about a new Charter Captain listed on my Local Resources Page. Captain Rick Reddick of Tampa fishing charters has phenomenal inshore fishing for tarpon, snook, red fish, trout, king fish, Spanish mackerel, flounder, sharks, black drum, sheepshead and many other species depending on the time of year. He is a local Guide with an excellent history of fishing the Tampa Bay Area, He also says to bring along the kids for an extremely memorable fishing experience. Thanks Capt. Rick.

Captain Rick Reddick
Tampa Fishing Charters |Tampa Fishing Guides
http://www.captainrickreddick.com
info@captainrickreddick.com
813-787-0249

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

New Charter Captain in Local Resources: Capt. Kevin Walton


I wanted to let everyone know that I have another Charter Captain that is listed in the LOCAL RESOURCES section of my site. Capt. Kevin Walton of nonstopfishingcharters.com Serving the Tampa Bay Area, St. Pete Beach, Clearwater, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach And More. Contact him at


727-638-0975

Or at

captkevin@nonstopfishingcharters.com

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Offshore Fishing with Capt. Bill

We decided to head out with a friend of a friend and find some snapper and whatever else might be biting offshore. We headed out at around 5pm on Friday evening going to hit a few spots for some Snapper overnight. We started out at a few spots around the pipeline, found some structure and started fishing we ended up immediately catching 3 Mangrove Snappers then we started catching a few small vermillion Snapper. Then the really good bite started with Lane Snapper. Many of them were around 13 inches but we had 4-5 over 14 inches and one at 16 and 1/2 inches. 
Then we decided to move to the Mexican Pride and see what might bite during the night. The snapper were biting and we caught one or two smaller Lanes BUT the big catches were all Red Snapper of keepable size HOWEVER since they are closed we let em all go Except the Half Fish that we pulled up after the Sharks got to them.
We did catch a 60lb AmberJack but it seemed he was the only one there. After fishing for a while we realized that we were catching mostly sharks and after about 25 or more of them we decided that it was time to move spots. We moved around to a few other spots and found a few more snapper and some small Red Grouper but nothing keepable.
We decided it was time to head back after an all night trip we had a little drive to get home get some pictures and some Sleep. This won't be our last trip out with Capt. Bill and Hopefully we make it out soon. Thanks Bill and Frankie.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Tampa Fishing Outfitters - One of Tampas Largest Selection of Fishing Supplies

This place is FANTASTIC, It has by far one of the largest selections of fishing equipment and supplies, from G.Loomis Rods and custom rigs to LEE cast nets and Costa Sunglasses if you can't find it here you probably don't need it to fish. I shop here when I need specific lures or items that I just can't find anywhere else, I just know they have it. The staff are all knowledgeable and friendly and give you all the advice you need and more. They hold fishing seminars on a regular basis and some of the speakers are the big names in local fishing like Capt. Rick Grassett and Capt. Randy Rochelle and Capt. Jason Prieto. Check their schedule here. http://tampafishingoutfitters.com Another thing I like is they have a rewards card, when you spend $25 you get a punch, once the card is filled up you get a $100 this is excellent too because we all know $25 is just the cost of showing up at a fishing supply store. If your in the need of new Rods, Reels, Sunglasses or every type and style of bait ever made this is the place to be, so stop by and check them out. I just love the place so I thought I would post this Heck I don't even know if they know I posted it. Thanks though this is the type of place we need to keep around so visit often and support your local Fisherman!
3916 West Osborne Avenue
Tampa, FL 33614-6551
(813) 870-1234
Open Weekdays 9am-6pm; Sat 9am-5:30pm

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Fishing Report from Web Site


I got an anonymous Fishing Report for Tampa Bay from my site. Thanks for the Report!
"Spotted sea bass, black-tip shark, pompano, and mackerel were here in abundance most all keep-able sizes. First pylon off of MacDill off-limits sign southwest corner"

The Weather and nice falling barometer has helped the fishing lately. Again thanks for the report.

Monday, August 08, 2011

Summer Day Fishing

Although the days are hot and the afternoons filled with random Thunder Storms some fishing for fun can be had off the beaches and Grass flats around Tampa. Your best bet on days when it hits a heat index of 100 is to use live or dead bait. Target areas that have moving current and changes in depth or structure. Too shallow of water makes the temperature of the water too hot for the fish so finding that happ medium of about 6-8 feet seems to produce the best for me. If your looking for Trout or Redfish the Mornings and Evenings seem to be the best times, and even then you can still use top waters to lure them. Beach fishing also is the best in the mornings and evenings but if your looking for some middle of the day fishing it might just fit the bill to fish for whatever takes the bait. Along many of the beaches you can catch small "silver" fish (not sure what they are but they are a drum about 10-15 inches long and are all silver in color and have a black coloring on the very back top of  their tail not like a spot on a Redfish). You can also catch Catfish, Flounder Small Gray Snapper and Sharks. Its not the targeted game fish that many fisherman are stalking BUT if your just hanging out on the beach and wanna get a line wet it can be fun to pull in some of these fish and a nice flounder could be lunch. Light Tackle a Small circle hook and a few split shot can make the bait bounce accross the bottom and look good to just about any of the fish mentioned.

Friday, August 05, 2011

New Charter Captain in Local Resources: Capt. Lee Blick

I wanted to let everyone know that I have another Charter Captain that is listed in the LOCAL RESOURCES section of my site. Capt. Lee Blick of InshoreTampaBay.com he specializes in Upper, Middle, Lower Tampa Bay and surrounding water's, from Hudson to Anna Maria Island. Contact him at


813-802-6667
Or at

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Fishing Report - by Capt. Rick Reddick of Tampa Fishing Charters

"While the fishing on the flats has been slow, quality fish can be found in the deeper rivers and canals. On a recent charter I decided to go fish some of my fall and spring snook spots. And to my surprise. the fishing was pretty good. It seems that this year the fish patterns are running a little behind for certain species. For instances, white bait has been hard to find. Usually, the bridges are loaded with nice size green backs, but this year it has taken time to chum the on the flats to get enough bait for a trip. The red fish are starting to show up in places that the usually frequent in May.

Tarpon fishing is still steady, but river snook fishing always gets me excited. The snook in the rivers like good moving water. On a two tide day, I would fish the strongest part of the tide. On normal tide days, just make sure that you do not have a stagnate period during the cycle.
When fishing the rivers do not be scared of fresh water. The fish will be there. Big baits is also a key. If you have never experienced this type of fishing give me a call. Battle large snook and red fish in our Tampa bay area rivers is defiantly a special experience.

Captain Rick Reddick
Tampa Fishing Charters |Tampa Fishing Guides
http://www.captainrickreddick.com
info@captainrickreddick.com
813-787-0249
"

Saturday, July 16, 2011

New Charter Captain in Local Resources: Capt: Jay Schroeder

I wanted to let everyone know that I have another Charter Captain that is listed in the LOCAL RESOURCES section of my site. Capt. Jay Schroeder of CJFlats.com he specializes in customized fishing trips covering the entire Tampa Bay area and everything from Scalloping to Black Drum to night fishing trips! He fishes out of a fully rigged 22' Century Flats boat and is ready to book those night trips for big SNOOK. Contact him at
813-528-3220

Or at

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

46" Cobia caught near Gandy Bridge

One of my website visitors Mr. Dung Luu sent me this nice picture of him holding this nice 46" Cobia, he caught near the Gandy bridge on a Live Pin Fish. Thanks for the Picture Love seeing us regular fisherman catching these nice fish.

Tight lines, Trevor

Sunday, July 10, 2011

After the Storms Redfishing




We hit the water at about 7am, finally the rain stopped and the storms in the afternoon were of no concern. We headed to some of the local flats off Dunedin. First we found pods of bait just hitting the surface and BIG trout hangin underneath the bait just feeding. We hooked about 10 a little undersized then found 2 that were well over the 20" and then decided to look for Redfish..I know "Never Leave Fish to Find Fish" But we needed to get a Redfish as we moved towards the nice grass flats we tossed into a few bait schools and had ONE Huge hit that hooked up and then got off. However we saw the school we were looking for Bad thing is it was a BIG SCHOOL of Redfish and the reason thats BAD is because they WERE too Big. Which could be a good thing, the fight was tremendous and after two landed and released and another broke off we decided to call it a Day The Reds were just TOO BIG to keep. An Excellent day of fishing and we actually never had the bite let up.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Tarpon Fishing Report by Capt. Rick Reddick

Fishing Report provided by: Tampa Fishing Charters www.captainrickreddick.com info@captainrickreddick.com 813-787-0249
"The Tampa Bay tarpon bite is still good. Fish are being caught around the Skyway Bridge in the 50 to 100lb class, with an occasional 150lber in the mix. The bait of choice has been pass crabs on the full moon tides. This type of fishing is very exciting. It is a great challenge to chase this fish in between the bumper. The common tactic is to anchor on the slower tides and then drift on the stronger ones. On the out going tides the eddies on the west side of the bridge have been the ticket.
Out on the beaches and in the passes the fish are bigger and the bait of choices has been live or cut thread fins. Drifting or anchoring can both produce fish.In these places it is very exciting to see these fish breach right before they bite your baits. Tarpon fishing is my favorite time of year and the bite is strong right now. It brings me no great pleasure to put my clients on these fish."
www.captainrickreddick.com

Thanks Capt. Rick Hopefully a couple of my web visitors can take advantage of your experience and you can put them onto some of these big fish.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Fishing Anna Maria Island in Early October

I received a Question about Fishing Anna Maria, Island in early October. Here is the answer that I sent and thought it might be helpful to all.
Anna Maria, during that time frame the fish will still be biting along the beaches and should be fairly active primarily in the morning and evenings. The Snook will be in the process of moving back into the creeks for the warmer water but SINCE it is early October it will still be good for Snook right off the beach. There will also be flounder, Spanish Mackerel right off the shoreline. A small Shrimp on a #1 Hook will work great for the flounder and a # long shank hook or a "wire" leader hook with a flashy lure will work best for the Spanish Macks. The Snook you will need a little heavier line but casting at about a 45 degree angle to the shore and bouncing a 1/8 - 1/2 oz jig head with a White or Brown DOA Shrimp or GULP shrimp on it will be your best bet.

If you prefer top water or swim lures look to the Mirro-dene Green color or a Small Top Dog or Zara Spook in the chartreuse color.

As you fish, if you are using live bait you can let it sit on the bottom with a couple of SMALL SPLIT SHOT WEIGHTS, BUT if you want to cover more ground walk the beach and cast at a 45 degree angle as you walk then on your way back do the same you you will criss cross the area and fish that are roaming along the beach will be your likely target.

Hope this helps,
Tight lines, Trevor

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Excellent SNOOK

Ms. Maryann Schaefer, caught this beautiful SNOOK and to make things better it was the first one she has ever caught. Congrats and thanks for the Picture.
Maryann Said thanks to Capt. Jay Schroeder for the catch.
Tightlines Maryann and hope to see more like this.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

FLORIDA FREE FISHING WEEKENDS ANNOUNCED

The Florida Wildlife Commission has announced Free Fishing Weekends for Mid June. The license-free weekend of June 4 and 5 is the first weekend red snapper season opens in the Gulf, and the second weekend of June 18 and 19 is Father's Day weekend. Each of these weekends will be LICENSE not required to FISH in Florida Waters. Take advantage of this FREE weekend and take a friend fishing and show them a good time Fishing in Florida. The FREE Fishing without a license is for anyone in Florida, Residents, Vacationers and anyone else in Florida during these times.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Capt JP of Hardcore Fishing Charters Tampa Bay Fishing Report

Tampa Bay is going off right now!!!! Even with this cold front that came through here on Monday the fish are still feeding like crazy. It really doesn’t matter what you are fishing for right now….you are probably going to hook up..


Lets start with the Trout and Mackeral. Find a grass flat with potholes in about 4-7 feet of water and try using a artificial shrimp under a popping cork. I like to put some type of scented fish attractant to help turn the bite on but you will catch fish either way. You can always use live shrimp or greenbacks (white bait) to up your percentages. Fort Desoto is a great place to wade fish if you don’t have a boat. For the boaters Pinellas Point and Fort Desoto are great choices and you will probably catch a few redfish and snook there too. As the water heats up try and fish around the early morning and late evening times. Always take a good look at a tide chart before you head out. Moving water is the most important thing to look for.

The Tarpon are here and they are chewing!!! Right now your best bet will be to use big thread fins near and around the skyway bridge. Fish the shadow lines and be ready. I like to free line one rod out the back and put one on the bottom with a 4 oz weight because you never know when and where the bite will come from. I also recommend continually chumming the water. The more you chum the more chances you will have to hook up with the KING… I use 60lb liter with 50lb power pro and I always use a 5.0 circle hook. Buy the good thick hooks because they can bend your hook!! With these big hill tides coming over the next month its always a safe bet to go out and drift the Egmont Channel. Take your time and watch what the other boats are doing and always keep an eye out of another boat with a fish on….He always has the right of way

Good luck out there and if you have any questions feel free to email me from my website http://www.hardcorefishingcharters.com/

Capt JP

Hardcore Fishing Charter

813-380-3443

Saturday, April 30, 2011

NEW FEATURES for TampaBayFish.com (SUBMIT YOUR OWN FISHING REPORT, UPDATED MOBILE Web Site.)

I've added a new feature to the web site. SUBMIT YOUR FISHING REPORT. I know sometimes you don't have one and you would like to come here and see what has been posted BUT if you do it is nice to see "regular" fisherman sharing their fishing stories. It's real simple and easy click the link to submit a report and just say what you caught and where. This way if people want to look back through this BLOG and see when something was biting it makes it easier and a better resource for us all.


Here is how it works. Go to my "Submit a Fishing Report" site and fill out the form. Once it is submitted I will transfer the information to this BLOG and submit it for everyone to see. I can include LINKS to your Web Site, pictures and any other information you would like as long as it meets the "BLOGGER" Terms of Service. SO go fishing and come back and tell us about it. http://www.tampabayfish.com/TBF-Blog_entry.htm Please include all information you would like to on yourself or your Business to ENSURE I provide the correct Credit to the Resource....If you want to include a Picture send it in an e-mail to tampabayfish@gmail.com

Hey ever thought about just advertising your BUSINESS by Sponsoring a Weekly fishing report. Easy enough! Just enter your Business NAME and your WEB SITE URL as the source of the report and its done and it's FREE.

ALSO I updated the MOBILE WEB Site to be more friendly for iPhone and Android based Touch screen Users with a better Bright sunlight COLOR Scheme. Check out local Radar, Weather Reports, And FIshing Regulations. Thanks again and Tight Lines!

Friday, April 29, 2011

NEW Charter Captain Added to "LOCAL RESOURCES"

I wanted to let everyone know that I have another Charter Captain that is listed in the LOCAL RESOURCES section of my site. Capt. Rob Salimbene of MangroveMan.com he specializes in light tackle and fly fishing covering the entire Tampa Bay area for Snook, Redfish, Seatrout, Tarpon, Cobia, Tripletail, Shark and more! He fishes out of a fully rigged 20' Maverick Flats boat and is ready to go get 'em when you are. 1-3 fisherman is ideal and he has special rates for Fly Fishing. Contact him at 863-899-0984 or visit his web site for more info. Thanks Capt. and Tight Lines.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Tampa Redfish

Hit the water both days over the weekend and found the redfish up on the flats around 10:30am. Funny thing we saw lots of fish and caught quite a few Trout but the Redfish seemed to be sleeping in. They showed up about the time we were ready to leave the water. Literally on my last cast I landed an 18" Redfish and my buddy caught his about 15 minutes before that both were caught around 10:45am near Indian Key by Ft. Desoto. My hotspots map will have the exact location later today. The Trout however were everywhere from sun up until we left and we landed a few up to 20" and one at 22".

Easter Morning was more of the same but this time I headed towards the north west side of the Dunedin causeway. Made the morning sunrise and headed towards the small spoils just to the east of Honeymoon. However NOTHING seemed to be biting on the flats and everything was happening along the Drop off that had the markers indicating NO MOTORS. This went from about 8-10ft to 1.5ft in a hurry and all along this drop off was fish, Trout, Sharks and one 18" Black Drum that I was going to keep but decided to release him.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

NEW Fishing Report from Capt. Rob Salimbene Mangrove Man Charters www.mangroveman.com

Capt. Rob, reports.
Date: 23-24 April 2011 from http://www.mangroveman.com/

What is Biting: Redfish have really turned on this past week and should begin schooling up in large numbers within the next few weeks. I have been targeting reds around oyster bars and deep mangrove shorelines during the higher tide stages. The last two hours of the incoming tide and the first two hours of the outgoing tide have been producing very well. Most of the fish have come on cutbait, with fresh cut threadfin hearing being the best by far, however live shrimp or greenbacks have also been catching their fare share.

Snook have also continued to improve this past week. I have been fishing the south shore of Tampa Bay, basically from Miguel Bay (MAP LINK) to the Little Manatee River working the outside grass flats and passes. Find moving water with a deeper mangrove edge and some baitfish and Snook are bound to be in the surrounding area. The best bait has been live greenbacks, but live shrimp or the Mirrolure Mirrodine in the greenback color will also trigger strikes.

Lastly, Spanish Mackeral are swarming the entire bay area. This past weekend while Tarpon fishing, we were having difficulty keeping baits in the water due to the Spanish Mackeral that were tearing our baits and leaders to shreds. I like to target Mackeral with a live greenback rigged on a No.1 long shank hook connected to 40lb. fluorocarbon leader. Although you will get some bite-offs, I think you definitely get more bites and catch more fish with heavy flourocarbon leader rather than wire. The fish we have been catching are averaging 18 to 20 inches and we have been catching 20 to 30 per trip.

Source: Captain Rob Salimbene Mangrove Man Charters http://www.mangroveman.com/

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Easter WEEKEND Fishing Report

Date: 23-24 April 2011

What is Biting: It looks like the weather is going to be perfect this weekend to hit the water and find some Redfish and Trout on many of the local FLATS. I myself plan to head to the Ft. Desoto Treasure Island area and hit the flats along west side of the 275 highway just prior to the skyway toll. The Redfish have been schooled up with the mullet along many of the flats and have been caught by casting in behind the schools of mullet. My bait of choice has been a GULP Shrimp in the New Penny color. But top waters are enticing them to Strike as well and can land you some nice Trout bites. Spanish Mackerel have been all over the bay and trolling for them seems to work very well as does hanging out near the bridges and casting the currents. A nice flashing jig will work if you twitch it fast enough.

As for offshore and near the skyway in the Egmont channel and along the shipping channel I've heard the Grouper bite has been good and the Mangrove Snapper Bite has been good. I've even heard of Tarpon sightings already in the area.

Source: TampaBayFish.com (Trevor)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Fishing Report from http://www.hardcorfishingcharter.com

Date: 22 April, 2011
Whats Biting: Capt. JP, reports. "The bait has shown up on most of the flats between the St.pete Pier and the Howard Franklin bridge. They have a been a little spooky so try and stand where the bait cant see you. Redfish and Snook have been on fire around the St.Pete airport. Throwing out some chummers has helped getting the bite turned on. Grouper has also been on fire fishing pinfish in the channel around the Skyway bridge. You will probably catch quite a few shorts but the big ones are down there!!! If you have any questions feel free to visit my website at http://www.hardcorefishingcharters.com/ and send me an email.

Tight Lines,

Captain JP"

Friday, April 22, 2011

NEW Charter Captain Added to "LOCAL RESOURCES"

I just wanted to inform everyone of a NEW Captain that I have added to the Local Resources Page. His name is Capt. JP and he is the owner of HARDCORE FISHING CHARTERS. You can visit his website at http://www.hardcorefishingcharter.com/. He fishes all of the Tampa Bay Area and specializes in Shallow Water Fishing. He uses top of the line G Loomis, tackle and fishes out of a 24 ft, Ranger Flats boat that can accomodate up to 5 but is best fished with 2-3. If your into "Catching" he is willing to make that happen. Contact him at 813-380-3443 or visit his web site for more info. Thanks Capt. and Tight Lines.

CrankBaits and Top Waters that I like to catch fish in the Tampa Area

This is another part of my favorite Lures section, these are some of the Crankbaits and Top Waters that have produced well for me over the years I have caught Trout, Redfish and Snook on everyone of these Lures. The Jumping finger Mullet seems to be my favorite, but all are very good additions to any tackle box.
Trout, Redfish and Snook Crankbaits and Topwater

Thursday, April 21, 2011

New Fish added to Hot Spot Map.

Based on my past few outings and fish that I've caught I've updated the Hot Spot Map with Fish and locations. Check out the old and new locations here.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Jigs and Swim Baits that I like to catch fish in the Tampa Area

Ever get on the water and think man I have all my favorite baits that I use everytime I'm out, I wonder if they will bite on something different. WELL thats when I just strat going through lures, jigs, cranks and everything in my box to see if something else works. The best time to do this is when the fish are really biting and your arms are getting tired from reeling em in. This way you know they are biting and yeah it may be that they are hitting anything BUT you may be able to narrow down WHAT they WON'T hit. Sometimes that can be useful too. Because if they won't hit something when they are really biting then they definitly won't hit it when they AREN'T biting. Here are a few of the Swim Baits I like to use and have caught many trout on.

SwimBaits and Jig Heads (Trout, Redfish and Snook)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Saturday and Sunday

Hit the water both days before sunrise. The water was perfect and the fishing was excellent. Dunedin/Caladesi Saturday was alive with fish. Redfish were everywhere except on my hook. Still working on finding that perfect bait for redfish. Caught plenty of trout though and many keepers but I'm not the biggest fan of Trout so I released em all. Sunday same thing except I headed down towards Ft. Desoto and Turtle Key area, even hooked a few redfish but I don't think I set my hook good enough so had them on long enough to see them and have them spit the hook. Gonna try again next weekend and see if my luck improves. The fishing is great this time of year and we should see only better fishing as this nice spring weather really kicks in. I did talk to a few guys that said they were catching Redfish from the shore on cut bait though so I may have to give that a try.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Tampa Area Fishing Report

I've gotten a lot of comments on what is biting and where so I thought I would put them all down in a report.

The flats all along Tarpon Springs are alive with action. Reds are cruising the flats, Trout are hanging on the grass and Spanish Mackerel are any place there is bait to be had.

The Bay is full of Spanish Macks and the area near Weedon Island is really producing some nice Reds. Christmas Pass is full of Snook Trout and Reds and are typically found on an incoming tide. All the bridges are holding fish and the Lady Fish are thick like mosquitos.

The area all around Ft. Desoto is holding nice reds and trout and taking sinking baits during the day and top waters in the afternoon. Last weeks slow tides will be replaced with faster tides and more aggressive fish this week and weekend.

Grouper in State Waters have been bitting pretty good if you can get your bait down past the small red grouper and the KINGFISH bite has finally turned on and around the wrecks and in Egmont Channel you should find them hanging around.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Tarpon Springs in JUNE (Answer to an allexperts question from Michigan)

June in Tarpon Springs Area. There are a few places that will work great for you during that time of year. SO let me elaborate on a few things, SEASON, SPECIES, AREAS, BAITS/LURES and TACKLE(Rods/reels, etc...), and lastly some TIPS on fishing saltwater.


1. SEASON: Summertime hot. Best fishing times are the Magic hours (The Hour or two just after sunrise and the hour or two just before sunset.) So if your here just vacationing you could be on the water at 0630 and done by about 9am, and you can spend the rest of the day going to the beach or doing whatever. The water will be very warm and the fish will be very active. Fast retrieves, top water and some good jerk baits will do the trick. Remember sunscreen (NOT BULLFROG) even though it is the BEST SUNSCREEN ON THE MARKET. It is also the best fish "DETRACTANT" on the market. A pair of POLARIZED Glasses (These are just great no matter what your doing it makes seeing the shallows and bottom changes that much better.). Last thing be careful in the water on the shore and where you launch oyster beds are like a filed of razors and will tear your feet up.
2. SPECIES: Kayak on the flats and over the grass early can yield SNOOK, REDFISH, TROUT and LADYFISH. That time of year the TARPON will be rolling near Howard Park and Sunset Park and along the deeper water in those areas. You could possibly find a Spanish Mack or two also.
3. AREAS: Tarpon Springs has great flats all along it and there are a few places you can launch from and make things a little better.
  • HOWARD PARK is a nice park with an ABUNDANCE of parking along the road on the way out.
  • SUNSET PARK is another location that will get you right to the fish. As far as paddling you don't have to go far and I wouldn't try to go to far from shore without knowing the tides and letting someone know where your headed.
  • ANCLOTE PARK is a Very Busy boat ramp area but can get you to some nice little flats areas near the south side of the channel heading into the inter coastal.
Paddling is not going to be that difficult watch the tides and don't go super far out, check out some of the local fishing charters for TARPON SPRINGS, TAMPA and other areas to see what their fishing reports say, watch the winds and for Summer time storms especially around evening. The rain is refreshing but the lightning here is famous so be careful. Make sure you have the proper safety equipment (Life Jacket, Whistle(noisemaker) and s few other niceties (small First aid kit, light, knife). Also dress to get wet cause the fish will splash you, and a large brim hat, light long sleeve shirt and Sunglasses. Neck Gators are the thing down here in the summer, their light and you can cover up your neck and it helps. (if your down here look for the light weight ones for saltwater fishing)
4. BAITS/LURES and TACKLE: Small 1/2oz or lighter jig heas with a plastic swim tail work great. Look for Red/White, Chartruese/White. Gold, Silver, Green Metalflake, and any other color that looks bright and flashy. These colors can be the jighead, swim tails and any combo of the two.
If you want to go with live bait (whitebaits will be hard to come by from a kayak but pin fish will be plentiful witha  small hook and a piece of frozen shrimp and a bait bucket you should have enough as needed) Live shrimp are available at just about all bait shops for about $5/dozen depending on size. Red/White popping corks with about 24-30" leader under it with a small 1.0 hook should be good.
TARPON will prefer a pin fish free lined right in front of them BUT will also take a Shrimp and Jigs.
TOP WATER: Zara Spooks, Top Dog, Bagleys Jumping Finger Mullet, some other top water poppers that swim like your walking the dog will work.
LINE: Most fisherman around here will use power pro line or the other equivalents (fireline, spider wire) with Monofilament leaders of up to 6ft in lengther. tied line to line with the less hardware items (swivels, clasps etc..) the better. Use about a 10lb no heavier than 15lb test and the monofilament can be a size heavier than the mainline or lighter depending on your preference and your reel. brown, green and even white or water camo color is the best. If your after a mixed bag of fish use about a 20lb with a 25lb leader and you should be able to handle a large Redifish or Snook.
RODS/REELS: 7'.5" medium action or 7' light action will be best for this type fishing. A heavy Action Rod with 35+lb will be needed if you run across a Tarpon. If your using a Saltwater Reel it will take the saltware beating better and should be washed with Fresh after every encounter with saltwater. Freshwater setups will last your one trip down here even if you wash them they will rust and the salt will eat them up.
5. TIPS: Don't get too excited when that fish is following your lure keep it steady and he will follow. OR throw back to the same spot and try again. Use hook outs and other tools to release, sometimes a thrashing fish will end up hooking you too. Tarpon will run and you need to chase them if you can or they will spool you unless you have heavy Tackle. SNOOK are CLOSED while your here BUT you can catch and release. Pay attention to the SLOT limits when keeping fish the Game Wardens love waiting for you to come back in. IF you have questions while your here ask the Bait shops they are all helpful and don't mind answering questions and telling you where and what is biting.  Search for local fishing site. Google search these Terms ("Tarpon Springs Fishing", "Tampa Fishing", "Tampa Trout Fishing", "Tampa Redfish", "Tampa Snook"

Monday, April 11, 2011

Spring Fishing is Great

Made it out on the water Saturday and Sunday, both days just fantastic weather wise and fishing also. Saturday we hit Sunset park area near Tarpon Springs. The Flats were alive with Big Reds roaming the flats mixed in with the schools of Mullet and The trout were everywhere on the grass and hitting anything that looked interesting. Top water seemed to be there favorit target. Sunday we hit the North East side of Courtney Campbell Causeway and Howard Frankin in the flats that are near the highway. The Trout were intermingled with Thousands of Lady Fish and an occasional Spanish Mack was sprinkled in to the catch. Every Cast using small White or Gold jigs worked the best and each cast was a hook up and you just had to wait to get it to the boat to see what it was. The only reason we stopped was because our arms got tired of reeling in the fish after about 4 hours of fishing.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Grouper in State Waters Opens 1 April 2011

This Friday Grouper in STATE shallow water out to 9 miles in the GULF is open. If you want more detailed information on Saltwater fishing regulations see this link. http://www.eregulations.com/Florida/fishing/saltwater/

The kingfish should be moving in as well and while your out on the shallow wrecks make sure to keep a flatline bait out with a wire leader and you will probably find a King or two trolling the tops of the wrecks.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Fishing this weekend

The weather is moving into that perfect day pattern where the winds are low and the sun is shinning and the fish seem to be hungrier than ever. Trout are hitting all of the grass flats, Spanish macks have moved into the bay and are also all throughout the intercoastal. Even some reports of Tailing Reds near desoto and some of the other flats. Snook are still in their winter haunts for now but will slowly move towards the beaches as things warm up. Offshore the Grouper season is closed for a few more days but I talked with a few divers and they say that there are a lot of them out there and Mangos too good sized since many people were off the grouper the mangos benefitted as well. Kings should be showing on some of the closer wrecks as they follow the bait that has started showing up. All in all if your hitting the water to fish or just enjoy this wonderful weekend it should be great either way. Be safe and tight lines.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Shrimp Starting to show off Ft. Desoto Flats.

We made it out to the water on the 18th, just in time for the full moon Saturday night. The wind was out of the North adn we thought it might not be that good of a night the tide was way out and with the wind it was a little choppy. BUT shortly after the moon rode about 9:20 or so we were able to get out to the knee high water and the eyes were lighting up everywhere. The shrimp were everywhere BUT they were mostly small, not that the bay shrimp are very large but these were very small. during the night however over the next hour we were abelt to find shrimp large enought to take home and not feel like we had popcorn shrimp. It was a good night and you could tell the fish were active that night as well. From the sheer numbers of shrimp we saw there had to be fish that were pleasantly plump after the nights feeding. Take a look at my previous shrimp blog in one of my previous entries.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Fishing for the Everyday Guy.

My fishing day normally begins very early. It actually starts the day before, normally because I wake up before the sun comes up to hit the water when the light is just busting pink on the horizon. Something about the sun just peeking up when your already on the water and hearing the slurping of fish on the calm surface and the popping of a Snook in the mangroves or the splash of the Mullet catching some morning air. It is my church where I worship the greatness of the outdoors and the natural beauty that someone has put in front of us but is rarely admired for just existing. I'm not trying to be a professional writer but I do think that many of us feel the same way about the outdoors and we sometimes can't explain it to our friends or family what the outdoors means to us.
       The Night Before I head out I normally get my rods out and make sure that they are well lubricated and that I don't have any kind of issues with them that went unnoticed the last time I was out. I also check the leaders on them and I look over about the first 10-15ft of line to see if there is much wear and tear on the braided line. If there is I cut it off and tie a new leader on. 
My typical line and leader setup is a 20lb braided Power Pro main line with 15-20lb monofilament leader tied line-to-line using a Surgeons Knot. It's pretty simple and I haven't had it be the weak link in my rig yet. Next I think about the type of fish I am targeting and I choose the appropriate two lures OR Hook/weight combos to tie on. I normally use two Poles for ease of switching out baits fast and have two options to choose from while fishing. I then tie the lure or hook on using a Rapala Knot. This knot allows the lure or hook to swing freely on the line for more action. This is also a very simple and quick knot that can be used to change lures rapidly while on the water.
     The Day of fishing begins like I said before the sun comes up. IF I'm taking the Kayak I typically load it the night before also if not I head to my boat in plenty of time to get it in the water before first light. I normally load my tackle, a small cooler or just a quick bottle of water and a few ziplock Baggies and my fillet knife. normally I am the only one at my fishing spots, alone in the dark and nothing but the salt air and the soft winds to keep me company. It is great to fish and to be that one person in your own little piece of the ocean a truly relaxing time and a lot of fun when you start catching fish. Speaking of catching fish sometimes I switch between multiple lures so when I am done with one I try to keep it in one pocket of my tackle box so I can wash them out later when I get home and it doesn't get saltwater all over my other lures and corrode later.
     When I'm done it normally is just a matter of loading up and heading home unless of course I have caught fish. If I caught fix I try to fillet them at the shoreline so that I can feed the pelicans or other birds the remains rather than trying to throw the remains in my trash and waiting for two days before the trash runs. Once home I take all my used tackle, including my rods, reels and lures and wash it off with freshwater to make sure that I don't have any salt on them. Because if you have fished here for very long reels and lures don't seem to last as long as they do when used in just fresh water. Washing your kayak out and/or your boat is also a good idea. Flushing the motor on your boat is must but I don't think I need to even say that.

That's my fishing routine and I know everyone has their own habits and things that they like to do and maybe my routine will help you to think about some things that you might not have before. Like I continuously say. I am a regular guy, I like to fish and I have a full time job that supports my fishing habit. So the next time your out on the water and you aren't sure what your going to target or where your going to go think about my web site and hopefully when you come back you will check it out and learn something that you can share.

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Tampa Outdoor Expo - 20th YEAR

This weekend is great weekend to get back into the OUTDOOR season with a trip to the Tampa Tribune Outdoor Expo and Boat Show. It is at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa FLorida. and is also during the same time as the SUNCOAST GUN SHOW.  The Outdoor Expo will feature MANY of the local Fishing experts and TV hosts and has more than 150 Vendors in 140,000 sqft area. Something for everyone!

Runs from FRIDAY March 4th, 2011 - SUNDAY March 6th, Admission is $8.00

GOTO THE WEBSITE.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

How to USE the TampaBayFish BLOG to find out whats biting!

Ok so you may have read my blog, you may have thought whoop dee doo he told me he caught a trout or a redfish OR nothing at all.  The question your asking is why do I want to read about a fish that was caught yesterday or the day before? Well the reports I post have two main purposes and why you should look at them every once in a while.
Purpose #1. It tells me what is being caught right now during this season and what seems to be the bait that is triggering the bite.

Purpose #2. It tells a year long story about what was biting and during what month that type of fish was biting.

SO if you take a look at the Blog Archives for my site you will see that you can look through the posts over the year and see when I was catching what type of fish.

Making use of the information presented can help you target specific species of fish and give a general Idea of what might be biting TODAY based on what was BITING as posted in my BLOG.

Here is a TIP for today. Take a look back at the MARCH 2007 Blog Entry titled "Early Kings" and you will see that based on that one post WE should be ready to head out and find us som Kings on the 26th and 27th of March. SO good luck and remember the site is FREE to use as you wish and hopefully by using the information provided you will catch more fish.

Friday, February 11, 2011

TampaBayFish.com provides good information for you everywhere

USATODAY likes TampaBayFish.com
Another location that gives credit to TampaBayFish.com for fishing information in the Tampa Bay Area. USAToday gives Travel Tips on locations and things to do there. In this Article they cite my Ft. Desoto page and the information about the Fishing piers located there.

LIVESTRONG.COM likes TanpaBayFish.com
I'm not saying that they support me BUT they do think that I am a good source for "the everyday Tampa Fisherman". I truly appreciate the vote of confidence in the information I provide and I am a regular user of the livestrong.com web site. I track everything I eat and I plan to utilize their recipe system to track fish recipes that promote our local Tampa Flare. If your interested in losing weight or just watching what you eat check out their "MY PLATE" feature and adjust your daily caloric intake to eat a little less and a little more healthy and you'll be surprised at how easy it is to lose a few lbs.

Link to LiveStrong Article with props given to TampaBayFish.com

TAMPABAY.COM likes TampaBayFish.com
Hurricane Season will be here before you know it. Using some of these tips can help your boat weather the storm. I first published my Hurricane Information in 2004 when we had the last major bout of storms come through the Tampa Area. The good news is others are also using my information to support their Hurricane Tips. TampaBayFish.com is cited as a source for hurricane information at tampabay.com
    So the next time your thinking about Hurricanes and Securing your boat remember you can use trusted sources and the internet to provide you with information, tie down how-tos and more. Do let a lotta wind and rain destory something you use to support your fishing habit.

Friday, February 04, 2011

Simple-Quick-Strong Fishing Knot. Fishing Knot How-To

I've used this knot for the past year and as long as it is tied tight and cinched down good it will hold just about any size fish. And it if QUICK to tie and leaves the bait free to move without the restriction of the line.

Step 1: Tie a Simple Line over knot like the first step of a Square Knot.
Step 2: Run the free end of that knot through the eylet of your Lure. The Back through the first knot.
Step 3: Cinch the knot down tight!
Step 4: Tie another simple Knot around the line with the free end.
Step 5: Cinch the knots down together, wetting with your mouth or water. CLIP the excess Free Line.

Hopefully this helps as it has increased the amount of time I am fishing as opposed to tying complicated knots.
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Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Tampa Area Fishing Piers - South Sunshine Skyway Pier


Site 2: The South Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier is located just to west of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on the South side of the Bridge. Take the first exit after crossing, which means you will have to pay a toll to get accross the Sunshine Skyway This pier is also part of the remanents of the original span and is driveable and safe. On this Pier also you can drive right up to your fishing spot and have your car right there with you. Just about any type of fish that can be caught in the gulf or in the bay can be caught here. They have Rental Gear here at their Bait & Tackle snack shop as well. This is also the longer of the two piers and at this time on both piers the EAST SIDE of the Piers are closed. This just makes fishing on a two lane Pier as opposed to four.

Map: google maps link
Address:
7900 US Highway 19 S, Palmetto, FL
Phone:

941-729-0117

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Early Trout Fishing

Decided to take the Kayaks out and see what was biting. We put in at the OldsmarPark area. where we had to Pay a $10 Parking fee, Couldn't believe it was that much since I don't pay that much to launch my boat. Anyway we got out on the flats just south of the blown up power plant and we caught a few small trout. Nothing much to mention and it was rather slow. This may be a good spot once the weather warms up a few more weeks. Spots were added to the Hot Spots Map

Tampa Area Fishing Piers - North Sunshine Skyway Pier


Site 2: The North Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier is located just to west of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge it is part of the remanents of the original span and is driveable and safe. One thing that is nice about this Pier is you can drive right up to your fishing spot and have your car right there with you. Just about any type of fish that can be caught in the gulf or in the bay can be caught here. They have Rental Gear here at their Bait & Tackle snack shop. At this time on both piers the EAST SIDE of the Piers are closed. This just makes fishing on a two lane Pier as opposed to four.



Map: google maps link

Address:
11101 34th Street South

St. Petersburg, FL 33711
Phone:
727-865-0668



Friday, January 28, 2011

Tampa Area Fishing Piers - Clearwater Beach Fishing Pier (Pier 60)

I received a question regarding fishing rentals and where to fish in Tampa. For many of us it is easy to just know where to go we live it and are around it all year long but for many of our tourist friends who travel here and want to fish it can be a mystery as to where to start and how to go about doing it.  My next couple posts will be about Fishing Piers and Rental Locations. I probably won't cover all of them but will make a good attempt at giving some locations to get started.

(These are in no particular ranking order)

Site 1:  Clearwater Beach Pier, otherwise known as Pier 60. This is a popular place for sunset watching sightseeing, an occasional dolphin and manatee sighting and of course fishing. The pier is pretty long not sure of it's exact length but they have a Bait & Tackle, snack shop in the middle and shelter along the walkways at 1/3, 2/3 and on either end of the T at the end of the pier. It also has some great lighting around it and can be fantastic for night fishing especially in the warm summer months from June - early Sept. SNOOK can be found hauting the bait fish around the lights. March-April is Kingfish and Spanish Mackerel, and again Sept-Oct for the fall King/Mack runs. Other species that can be found here are Sheepshead, Sea-Trout, occasional Redfish and a potential Flounder among numerous baitfish.

Map: google maps link
Address:
1 Causeway Blvd, Clearwater, Fl. 33767
Phone:
727-462-6466

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

NEW Feature for TampaBayFish.com (FREE Editable Hotspot Map)

OK so it's a NEW Year and with a NEW year comes a NEW Feature. You've seen my hotspots Map, OR maybe you haven't either way this is a way for you to connect to the site and add your OWN Hotspots. Here is how it works. Google Maps provides the ability to UPDATE Maps with place markers, I have made custom icons for some of the local fish and will ADD more as time goes by. YOU being the fisherman you are send me an e-mail at tampabayfish@gmail.com and say "I want to be added to edit the HOTSPOTS MAP" in the subject line and I will add you to the map and you can begin editing and adding your favorite spots, OR just a spot that you caught something. The more we have adding the better the fishing log will be and the MORE chances other people will be able to catch fish.

      I've already populated it with some fishing spots and I ALSO added a BONUS, I've added OVER 100 Offshore Coordinates and Fishing Locations from my own personal List and some others that I have gotten permission to "DIVULGE". SO the Map is Live and NOW you can take credit for the spots that YOU catch Fish.
MEMBER HOTSPOT MAP
Once you've sent an E-mail you will be able to go to the GOOGLE MY Maps Feature and EDIT The Map. The only information that is needed By Google to Make it possible for you to EDIT the Map is to add your e-mail to the map as an EDITOR.      
     Remember Fishing is an excellent sport. It can provide meals, relaxation, networking opportunities, outdoor enjoyment, sight seeing, once in a lifetime experiences and just plain old FUN. But not everyone is an EXPERT Professional Fisherman and if you need a little help or a few local tips. TampaBayFish is the place to get it. 
      Some other sites are requesting that you pay $$ to be a member to add hotspots and they probably have a lot of knowledge and a lot of information that is very useful. HOWEVER many of us are just local guys that want to catch fish and know where to go, so paying MONTHLY to get this information just isn't worth it. LOCAL EVERYDAY FISHERMAN Know that TampaBayFish.com is the source for Down-To-Earth Fishing Reports for the average guy.

EMAIL ME and I will ADD your E-mail to the list of people who can add fishing spots and start fishing.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Cold weather Report

With the water being pretty chilly the fish are slow but not scarce. Best bet is to go later in the day when the sun has had a chance to warm the water a little Soon warmer weather is on its way it won't be long until we have some great spring fishing action. In the meantime. Here are a few places that may produce. One is the beach areas along phillippe park in Safety Harbor, the water is shallow and the sandy bottom heats up rather quickly. If you hit the area before evening rolls around you may find some reds cruising along the mangroves when the tide is up.
          Near the Dunedin Causeway and the flats north towards Anclote are holding Trout but they seem to be in the 5-7ft range and are hitting slower moving jerked softbaits. Try this area when the sun is high in the sky so between 11-3pm is your best bet.
          Hopefully everyone has had enough winter and are ready to get back to some fishing weather. I will update my hotspots if I hear of anything good biting. The local paper is reporting large Sheepshead moving around in the Bay BUT I have never had much luck finding or catching them so for those of you that have the skills to do it that may be an option.
-- Tghtlines

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Jason Prieto is Making a Special Offer

Every once in a while I run accross a good deal that one of the Charter Captains I have listed on my site has going on Here is one of those deals.

Forward of an Email Advertisement
Spring Fishing Almost Here!

captjasonp@aol.com
Spring fishing is almost here and booking early is the key to getting the date of your choice. We are already seeing a warming trend and I look for it to continue as we go into February. With warm weather comes great Trout, Snook, and Redfish fishing in Tampa Bay. To book a trip call

813-727-9890

Take advantage of our early booking special!

Book a 6 hr fishing trip for the price of a 4 hr. This means you get 2 more hours for free. This offer will be good until February 15th. As long as you book the trip before then you will get the discount. It does not matter when you run the trip! Take advantage of these big savings and get out on the prestine waters of Tampa Bay!