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.

The fishing for the remaining of summer doesn’t change very much. What does change however, are the tides.

The water temperature right now is hovering around 90 degrees, so it’s important to fish during a strong moving tide. The reason for this is simple: A moving tide tends to cool the water a bit and fish are more active. It’s also important to start fishing early in the day. I’ve been catching bait at sunup and picking up my clients at 7:30AM. This allows anglers to fish during the cooler part of the day and get off the water before the daily afternoon thunderstorms move in.

The one consistent element you encounter while fishing during the summer is change. Every day is different. One day the snook fishing will be on fire and the next smoldering. Same with redfish. One day you will encounter a school of fish and the next day, just a few. Even on slow days though, there’s always something to catch. While this change may be constant, we do regularly catch mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, seatrout and sharks.

If you’ve never fished Tampa Bay before, call Afishionado for the experience of a lifetime.

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.
 

March 20th was the best fishing year-to-date.

It just so happens I had two-four-hour charters on the first day of spring, and except for one spot, we caught fish all day. The redfish and snook just wouldn’t leave our baits alone. The best part, we were catching them in the same location. Fish after fish, we weren’t sure if it was going to be a redfish or snook until we got a hook-up.

Now, I’m not saying the fishing prior to that day has been all bad, just not as explosive. The good news is spring is here and the fishing is only going to continue to get better.

If you like to catch or have never caught snook and redfish, now is the time. Call today and book your world-class fishing adventure today.

This month marks a quarter of a century that I’ve been in the guiding business.

Let me tell you…Guiding customers to fish over the past 25 years full-time, hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been rewarding. Watching and coaching people to catch snook for the first time is still exciting. Teaching kids how to fish is worth every alarm that wakes me up at 3:30AM to prepare for the days charter. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they’re reeling in one redfish after another, justifies the hours that I put in catching bait before my clients even board Afishionado.

Through the years, I’ve witnessed more than a few phenomenon that has affected the Tampa Bay area waters. There have been several brushes with Hurricanes, three severe outbreaks of red tide, and the worst of all, the massive influx of boats both, recreational and commercial.

Starting in 2020 during the pandemic, people weren’t working or traveling so they bought boats and started fishing. Since then, Fridays resemble what Saturdays used to look like on the water, and Sundays now look more like the Fourth of July!

Additionally, over the past four to five years there’s also been an abundance of people getting into the fishing guide business. Now I’m not opposed to legitimate professional competition, it makes everyone better. However, that hasn’t been the case, for the most part. Many of the newbies lack customer service skills, have little to no dignity or work ethic and provide their customers inferior equipment.

After 25 years, I still, look forward to sharing in the experience of people catching some of Florida’s most popular inshore species on spin, fly or plug. I always have, and always will strive to offer the best possible fishing experience for every charter from my boundless energy and strong work ethic, to providing quality rods, reels, and the knowledge to make it all pay off.

I won’t be guiding for another 25 years, but I’ll be at it for another five, maybe ten! So, what are you waiting for, call me?

I’d be happy to set my alarm clock for you!

Despite the lingering presence of red tide all along the coast from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs, Tampa Bay remains unaffected. Beach anglers continue to struggle to catch fish due to the ever-changing migration of the algae bloom. Low to high concentrations remain scattered throughout the region. The only way to stay on top of it, is to check the FWC’s Red Tide Status Report daily.

As for where I fish in Tampa Bay, the fishing is outstanding!

The redfish fishing has kicked into high gear on some the flats. Usually, the big spawning breeders start showing up just offshore, and at the mouth of Tampa Bay in October. However, that may not happen this year due to the red tide. Time will only tell.

The snook fishing has been good all summer long. As the days get shorter and the water temperatures slowly drop throughout the fall snook begin to feed even more. I’ve been catching snook, redfish, trout, and mangrove snapper in some of the same spots.

As for mangrove snapper, this has been the best year for catching these tasty treats that I can remember. They have literally been everywhere. I look for this to continue right up to mid-November when some strong cold fronts start moving through.

Seatrout are in no shortage on some of the grass flats. Most are in the 12-15-inch size range, but the numbers are impressive. I imagine the larger fish will become more active as the water temperature starts to drop.

The Spanish mackerel fishing was hit particularly hard in Tampa Bay during this summer’s red tide. Even though they were hard to come by then, they are now making a huge comeback. I expect it to only get better in October.

Speaking of October! The FWC plans to reopen snook, redfish and seatrout to harvest on October 11.

The official start of fall is on September 22, but don’t wait until then to book a charter to won’t soon forget. The phones lines are open!