If you’ve never eaten snook, your chance is coming up. Beginning September 1st through December 1st, snook are open to harvest. Clients ask me all the time how they taste, and I always reply, better than a grouper. Those who know would hungrily agree. The size limit on the Gulf coast for snook ranges between 28-inches and 33-inches. There is also a daily recreational bag limit of one per harvester.

The three species that have been most cooperative lately are mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, and seatrout.

Mangrove snapper are feeding heavily around most bridge pilings, rocky shorelines, and artificial reefs. Once anchored or spot locked, I always chum with fresh cut bait or live bait to get the action going. If there’s some tidal movement, I’ll put a small piece of split shot just above the hook to get the bait down. Most of the time when the snapper begin to feed Spanish mackerel start showing up in the same spot. Then it’s pure mayhem. Between snapper occasionally getting you hung up in structure and mackerel cutting off your hook with their sharp teeth, I find myself constantly rigging.

As for the seatrout, they bite best on a strong moving tidal flow. Tampa Bay is dotted with grass flats throughout, so I just pick a flat and work it over. I concentrate most of my efforts around the sandy potholes scattered about the flats. I like to Power-Pole down and work one section at a time.

In closing, more than ever, I keep an eye out for manatees. Manatees typically mate between March and September, with multiple male manatees competing to breed with a female.
Manatee mating herds are interesting to watch as several bulls (males) pursue a cow (female) until she is ready to mate. For everyone’s safety, I watch these mating herds from a distance as the animals are focused on mating and do not heed intruders in their midst. It’s also important to remember, touching or disturbing manatees is not only illegal, but can also be extremely dangerous.

Afishionado, “Always an Adventure.”

If you enjoyed reading my fishing report, you should check out my most recent post. Please like my Facebook Page to receive updates. For charter reservations call/text Wade at 813-286-3474.

For pure excitement, it’s hard to beat the Spanish mackerel and bonnethead shark fishing right now, especially, if you have kids on board. Both species are being caught in the same location and by using the same tactics. Hard bottom or along the edges of deep grass flats are the places I find both.

I first anchor or spot-lock my boat. Then I start a fresh bait chum slick by drifting chunks of cut bait fish down current. For bait on the hook, I have my clients free-line small to medium sized white bait or medium to large shrimp. That’s right, shrimp! Some days bonnethead sharks prefer shrimp. To help prevent cut-offs, use a long shank hook tied onto a three-foot section of 30lb. fluorocarbon leader. Fluorocarbon works better than wire leader because it increases the number of strikes.

The snook spawn is in full swing this month, which also means they’re closed to harvest until September. Snook spawn along deep-water mangrove shorelines, in the passes, around deep-water structures, and bridges. They will remain in these locations throughout the summer. A strong moving incoming or outgoing tide are usually the best for the most action.

Mangrove Snapper in their spawn in also. During this time, they are extremely aggressive and will absolutely devour baits as soon as they hit the water. Many times, my clients catch Mangrove snapper while fishing for snook and redfish along mangrove shorelines. “They don’t call them Mangrove snapper for nothing!” When I just want to target them, I anchor near bridge pilings or over structure and you guessed it, start a chum slick.

The redfish bite was inconsistent inshore last month, but it’s improving since the rainy season has started. When looking for redfish, I always check out oyster beds and look for mullet. The reason behind looking for mullet is that redfish often travel with them.

If you enjoyed reading my fishing report, you should check out my most recent post. Please view my Facebook Page to watch a video of John reeling in a redfish. For charter reservations call/text Wade at 813-286-3474.

“Afishionado, Always an Adventure!”

With temperatures in the mid-80s the last couple of weeks, it’s hard to believe it’s still winter. Especially, since it’s snowing in much of the country. Visitors are not only enjoying our spectacular weather, but have the opportunity to experience some of Tampa Bay’s outstanding fishing too.

With water temperatures hovering in the mid-70s, the snook, redfish and seatrout fishing is excellent. There have been days lately where I ran two, four-hour charters back-to-back catching fish all day. This is good news for the upcoming Spring Break season, because I only look for the fishing to get better as spring approaches.

So, if you’re here vacationing or live here through the winter, now’s a good time to plan a fishing trip. Just pick up the phone and give me a call, I’d be happy to show you the adventure of a lifetime.

If you enjoyed reading my fishing report, you should check out my most recent post. Please like my Facebook Page to receive updates. For charter reservations call/text Wade at 813-286-3474.

During the first half of this month, we had to endure summer like conditions, but for the rest of December we will be experiencing below normal temperatures. This change has fish on the move and unpredictable. As we settle into winter however, fish will become more stationary and willing to eat.

Snook are moving into the back bays with muddy bottoms for warmth and on frigid days, are more active from noon on. Snook tend to move slower in the winter also. This is the easiest time to catch them on a large shrimp or a piece of cut bait.

Redfish have moved into the creeks and rivers throughout Tampa Bay and tend to prefer banks lined with oyster beds and in the deeper bends. Residential dock pilings are another place to locate redfish. Shrimp is an excellent choice of bait for redfish during the winter. Whenever I am using shrimp, I break some up and use as chum also. The smell of shrimp in the water attracts redfish and other species as well. Chunks of cut up ladyfish is excellent bait for redfish too.

Seatrout prefer deeper water in the winter months as well. I have found over the years seatrout will mingle with redfish, but with snook, not so much. Many times, I will go to one of my favorite redfish spots and start catching seatrout. A few bonuses about winter fishing for seatrout is they love shrimp, and they do not have worms.

I have not seen an influx of cobia or sharks at the power plants yet, but that should change after this next cold front. The unseasonably warm weather conditions that we experienced most of this month has kept the bay water temperature in the low 70’s, so the action at the outflows has been disappointing.

No matter what time of year, something is always biting in Tampa Bay.

If you enjoy reading my fishing reports, you should check out my most recent post. Please like my Facebook Page to receive updates. For charter reservations call/text Wade at 813-286-3474.

One of the most beneficial aspects of October is the water temperature starts falling back into the 70’s. This drop in temperature places fish in their comfort zone, so they tend to feed more aggressively.

I refer to October as Red October because redfish are in the midst of their annual spawn and large schools of bull-reds could show up just about anywhere throughout our region. It’s not uncommon to see schools of 100-300 redfish this time of year. At times schools of large bull-reds can be spotted just about anywhere throughout Tampa Bay. When I’m out and about and see a big red blob moving through the water, I know it’s most likely a school of reds. Should we be fortunate enough to run into a school while you’re on a charter, it’s possible to catch fish for hours on end.

October’s cooler days and nights also trigger snook to go on a feeding frenzy. After months of spawning, they develop a huge appetite and begin to put on weight for the pending winter. When pursing snook, I always have a live well full of scaled sardines and chum my fishing spots generously.

The seatrout population took a hard hit during the last red tide, but upper Tampa Bay wasn’t affected, so it’s possible to catch a limit. The seatrout are in the deeper areas of the grass flats right now, but as the water temperatures continue to drop, they will be moving to shallower water.

The mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel fishing will continue to be active around any submerged structure, bridge pylons and rock piles. I always, get the action started by chumming. Chum and they will come!

Red October only comes around once a year, so if you want to catch a beast, now’s the time.

If you enjoy reading my fishing reports, you should check out my most recent post. Please like my Facebook Page to receive updates. For charter reservations call/text Wade at 813-286-3474.