Tampa Bay Fishing Report Summer 2022

Summer time is here, as water temps climb a wide range of species are all a go here in the Tampa Bay Area. The usual inshore slam (Snook, Refish, Spotted Sea Trout) are always in the fold for what we do but as water temps get hotter, picking the time of day and tactics to target these species becomes important. We’ll dive into that in a little bit. Another massive attraction to our area, is Tarpon season, for 3-4 months the tarpon bite gets pretty dang good here. Other species like Mangrove Snapper, Gag Grouper and Spanish Mackerel get going in the deeper water on local reefs and ledges. So as temps get hot, the bite can do the exact thing, lets dive in!

For any day of fishing, the day always starts with the bait grind, summer time you better be ready to get up early and go get it or sleep in and hope the bait barge has some left if you feel like buying it. First light has been the good window, be at the ramp in the dark and on the flat chumming as that light in the sky starts showing. By sun up you should have a full live well. Tower and deep bait, early is still a great window, as that sun gets high, a lot of threadfins start to move in, now if you are wanting those for tarpon or to fish dead bait, that works great. Try and mark the bait on the bottom, that’s the white bait you’ll want that stays alive. Typically the threads mark middle to top of the surface on sonar.

White Bait

We are in the middle of May, so temps are getting warmer but not unbearable yet. Water temps are low to mid 80’s so the flats are producing most the day depending on tide. The redfish have been great, we like to hit them on the low tide before the water gets too high, looking for some activity on the flat you're approaching helps. For instance, wads of mullet jumping around. Don’t be afraid to work those schools, the reds mix in with them. If redfish schools aren’t visible on approach, this is a good tactic. On higher water prepare to beat the bushes, get your baits tight and under the mangroves if you can, dead or live bait. Snook are a bit of the same as of late, moving tide is very important for snook, they get very finicky on slow tides. Wish we had a better trout report but its been a tough year for Spotted Sea Trout in our area. We have been finding them here and there but the numbers and size just haven’t been there. White bait and shrimp have been the ticket when we find them. As summer moves on try and remember the term ‘beat the heat’, meaning get out early and be done early. Or if you’re able, hit the evening tides for a few hours as the sun sets. Those will be your best windows

One of the most exciting fishing times of the year here, is Tarpon fishing! If you want to battle the Silver King, be ready to work for them. Tarpon are one of the most difficult fish to target but most rewarding. The local fish have been here but the huge schools of migratory are showing and arriving in a hurry. Bring some heavy tackle. Dead threadfins and crabs are typically the bait to use, every now and then throw on a live thread. Try to find where they are staging and drift baits back to them. Tarpon on strong tides like to stage up facing the current. Good luck!

The reefs and ledges are a great option during the summer. Fish on the flats are a lot like us, as it gets hot, they get a little more sluggish, if you’re noticing a slow bite, maybe have a back up plan and go target some Spanish Macks, Mangrove Snapper or even take a shot at some big Bay Gag Grouper. At the beginning of a tide where its at its slowest is a great time to work the deep water spots. Baits get down a little easier and the feel for a bite as well! Live bait and dead bait both work well, enough for chumming can help lift these fish off the bottom. Adjust your weight on how strong the tide might be moving, so your bait gets down and in the targets range. Free line some live white bait for the Macks, they’re higher on the waters surface in constant motion ready to strike and use those long shank hooks to help with their teeth!

We appreciate you reading and we hope this helps you all if you’re getting out there. If you don’t want to worry about all this feel free to give us a call and we’d be happing to handle it all and put you on!

Tampa Bay Fishing Report January 2021

The year is 2021 and as we reminisce about the 2020 fishing season it’s exciting to think what new memories we will make this year! Many of us went through it last year, but the fish did not skip a beat. That’s the beauty about nature, it doesn't care who's in office, your race or if you're a millionaire it treats us all the same! Let's get into our fishing report.

Starting of the year with one of the coldest winters I can remember here in Tampa Bay. With several nights of temps in the 30’s and 40’s the water temperature inside Tampa reached the low 60’s. Luckily, we were still able to fish! Negative tides and North winds create great opportunities for anglers in the winter you just have to know what to look for. Rivers, creeks, residential canals, warm water outflows all will hold fish. Areas with muddy bottom and oyster bars hold heat making them spots where fish migrate during the winter.

Now even though we were able to catch live bait that didn't mean that the fish were going to eat it. During this time I referred to my shorts theory, which is very simple, if I walk out of my house at 6am in shorts and I have to walk back in to put on pants I will be stopping by the Gandy Bait & Tackle Shop to pick up 10 Dozen shrimp for my charter. It's a theory that has been proven again and again over the years. Typically at that point the water temperature is below 65 degrees and the shrimp bite is going to be better. 

The Trout and Sheepshead bite has been on fire in December and early January. Using a live shrimp with a  #1 live bait hook, 20 lbs leader, and a small split shot has been the go to. Trout have averaged from 15”-18”’s with a few over 20”’s. Trout remain catch and release in our area so make sure to practice proper release techniques. For the Sheepshead you can use the same tackle but depending on the depth that you are fishing you can use a ⅜ ounce  or ½ ounce jig head to work the bottom. 

As we head into February we can expect a warming trend and that’s only going to fire up the Snook and Redfish bite! Can't wait! Also, cant forget about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers! Super excited on the season and now they get to play in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium! Go Bucs we are cheering for you!

Signing off till our next fishing report,

Inshore Society

Tampa Bay Fishing Report September 2019

Fall is in the air, well at least in the evening and when you walk out to your car in the morning! But we have been seeing a small change in weather over the past couple of weeks. Overnight temps have been consistently in the low 70’s and day temps have dropped to the high 80’s. That’s a significant change from our summer time weather pattern. In the next couple of weeks we will see fish starting to be very active on the Tampa Bay Flats.

Redfish schools have started to invade Tampa Bay! If you have been flats fishing in the past month you most likely caught a redfish or come across of school of fish. Moving tides has been key to a successful fishing trip, outgoing tides have been better for us. Fishing creek mouths, shorelines, and flats with good healthy grass we have been on the lookout for schools of fish. Scaled Sardines, Pinfish, Cut Threadfins have been the bait of choice, rigged up with a 1/0 circle hook, 30 lbs leader, 15 lbs Fins braided line on a 4000 Florida Fishing Product Osprey and a 7’ Medium action rod.

Snook fishing has remained consistent and it will start to get even better as the water temperature continues to drop. We are looking for that magical water temperature of 75 degrees that will have these fish in a full on frenzy! Fishing mangrove points, pockets and passes have proven successful along with an incoming tide. We are using the same set up that we are catching our Redfish with.

We look forward to the next couple of months for cooler weather and a hot bite!

Let us know if you have any fishing questions at Inshoresociety@gmail.com

Tampa Bay Fishing Report July 2019

We are right in the middle of summer time fishing in Tampa Bay! The air temperature has been averaging in the low 90’s during the day and high 70’s in the evening. Afternoon showers have been consistent and helpful in cooling down the water temp which has been holding at the mid 80’s. You might think to yourself, “Am I reading a weather report or a fishing blog?” Well, weather is very important anytime that you’re planning a fishing trip; it can make things a lot easier or tough. There are many variables that weather can affect but to keep it short this time of year try to get out as early as possible. Cooler temps in the morning and a moving tides will give you the right conditions to have a successful fishing trip; the afternoon showers that start to show up will start to drop the atmospheric pressure activating a steady bite! Always keep an eye on the radar and be safe.

How is bait? Bait has been the toughest part of our day. We have a lot of hatchlings throughout the Tampa Bay area making it difficult on catching the size bait we would prefer. Good news is you can use the small baits to chum with and put the bigger baits on your hook. We have been using a 10’ 1/4” Humpback cast net on the flats. Plan B, has been to hit the towers after the sun comes up with a 12’ 3/8” Humpback cast net. You will catch a mix of Threadfins and Scaled Sardines of all different sizes.

What’s the hot bite this time of year? Snook, Trout, Spanish Mackerel, Mangrove Snapper, Cobia and Tarpon. These are the species that we are targeting on our charters. We have been very dependent on the tides and the types of fish we are catching. The Mangrove Snapper bite has been better on the slack tides, use 20lbs leader with a 1/0 circle hook, small scaled sardine or shrimp should get you a bite. Fish near rocks, artificial reefs and any type of structure. Snook and trout have been hot on the incoming tides fishing with 30lbs leader with a 1/0 circle hook and a medium size scaled sardine. Spanish Mackerel probably the most underrated and most consistent fish on the list for summer time fishing have been chewing on the outgoing tide. Look for drop offs, shoals, artificial reefs and you will find the Spanish Mackerel. Switch up your gear and put on a 1/0 longshank Mustad hook to prevent break offs and use 30-40lbs leader.

We hope that you find this fishing report helpful! If you have any questions feel free to email us at InshoreSociety@gmail.com

Tight lines from Inshore society!

Captain Cristian Minami

Captain Kenneth Smith

Tampa Bay Inshore Fishing Report January '19

It’s January 11th, 2019 and the fishing is off to a hot start! Cold fronts have started showing up and cooling down water temps in the Tampa Bay area. The average water temp inside Tampa Bay is at 68 degrees and the fish have definitely felt it. Fish have already made their migrations into winter time areas such as rivers, creeks, residential canals and the back country.

Fishing trips this time of the year can be very productive if you know what to look for. Planning your fishing trip around the tides is very important especially with the negative tides that we experience. We recently started a charter at 11am due to the tides and our clients caught Snook from the first cast to the last cast for four hours! What to look for? It’s very simple, in negative tides the fish are restricted in the areas that they can be in. Creeks and rivers will hold fish in deeper holes; most of these areas have a muddy and oyster bottom that hold heat in the colder months. Its best to try and fish a moving tide but be aware that fishing an outgoing tide in some places might leave you stuck.

Weather can be the difference between a productive day of fishing and slow bite kind of day. Fishing before upcoming cold fronts is usually a great time to get out, reason being is that those fish will feel the weather starting to change and will be feeding in preparation. During the cold front and a couple of days after will be the toughest bite due to the fact that those fish will need to be acclimated to lower water temps. Depending on the change caused by the cold front it could be worth waiting two to three days before going fishing again.

“Captain what are we going to catch today?” Well, right now we have several species of fish that we can target. Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, Trout, Snook and Redfish being at the top of our list this time of the year inside Tampa Bay. If the water temp remains close to 70 degrees the Snook will continue to feed comfortably; if it starts to drop under 65 degrees we can expect for the Snook bite to slow down until spring where they will come back in full force! My favorite time of the year for Snook! As water clarity increases and water temps continue to drop the Trout bite will start to heat up. Sheepshead usually being a great winter time fish to target have already made their way inside the bay and can be caught at bridges, reefs, rock piles and residential canals. The Redfish bite inside the rivers and creeks has been consistent with a few juvenile fish being caught. Mangrove Snapper are holding on major bridges and docks, a great option for someone fishing with kids and looking to catch dinner.

“What are they eating?” Shrimp, Scaled Sardines and artificial baits have been the meal ticket. On colder days the shrimp and artificial baits have actually out fished the sardines, so don’t be afraid to stop by your local bait shop and buy a couple dozen shrimp.

That’s all we have for the January fishing report! We hope that you find this information helpful and it makes you a better angler.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment below.

Tampa Bay Inshore Fishing Report for November '18

November in Tampa Bay has been off to a great start. With the first batch of cold fronts pushing through the state, things have really cooled down on the water and the bite has been hot! Coming out of the summer months here in Florida, it can be some of the best fishing year around along with Spring. Water temps go from the upper 80’s and even 90’s on the dog days to the mid to lower 70’s once a few of the cold fronts come through. The fish can be like us in the heat, fatigued, staying in the shade cooling off, not doing much. Now that we have nice water temps from the fronts, the bite is taking off, producing high numbered catches on our trips! Some honey holes are producing numerous slams in one spot. Can’t complain when you are catching all 3 of the prized inshore fish without having to move a lot.

Bait is still very easy to get all over the flats with sizes varying, making a nice mixed well. The time change has the sun coming up a little earlier - first light showing up around 6:30am and thats the money hour to get your bait. Chumming while fishing can really spark up the bite but isn’t really necessary with the cooler temps, the fish are pretty active as it is and are willing to feed if the bait is presented in front of them.

The water has really cleared up from all the summer storms. As you go across the flats here in Tampa, you will see how clear the water is with a lot of life moving around. Bite has been productive on both the incoming and outgoing tides. Some spots better than others depending on the tide, but if you do your homework, you should be having success on the flats and up by the mangroves. Snook and Redfish have been getting caught off the mangrove lines not tucked all the way up underneath as the summer tends to have them. They are producing a wide range of sizes, mainly in the 20”- 32” range, with the occasional big fish coming through causing a great fight with a little chaos on the boat lol.

Trout have been showing up and that’s expected this time of year. As we get closer to winter, numerous schools of trout are gearing up for their winter holes and frisky to jump all over your baits. Whether you’re throwing live bait or artificial, they are a productive bite and showing up in all sizes. The Gator Trout (larger trout) will only get better as the water cools even more. Find yourself some clean water, which stated before is most of the Bay right now, healthy grass flats with potholes and edges to them. look for depths anywhere from 2’ to 4’ of water.

November has started off great with no signs of red tide anywhere IN the bay, so don’t hesitate to take your vacations and book your fishing trips. November is filling up, but we’ve got a few days still open, so give us call and let’s get you out to enjoy this beautiful weather and great fishing!

August Fishing Report

It’s finally August in Florida and I’m sure most of us are looking forward to Fall. This summer has been so hot that on most charters we’re off the water by noon. Staying hydrated, wearing proper fishing attire, Costa del mar shades and plenty of sunblock has been key on every fishing trip; Redfish, Snook, Speckled Trout, Mangrove Snapper and Spanish Mackerel have taken care of keeping us on the water.

Bait has been around in large numbers on the flats and deep channel markers. We have been finding smaller baits on the flats in the 2’ – 4’ depth, using an 8’ Humpback cast net ¼” mesh size to prevent Christmas trees. Once you get the bait chummed up it has been easy to black out the live well, but beware of overcrowding your livewell during the summer. Water temperatures can near 90 degrees and baits can easily start dying off if not properly managed, I suggest to maintain a constant high pressure flow of fresh water pumping into the livewell and giving the baits oxygen. Oxygen will help keep the baits lively and you should see a difference in their life span.

Fishing has been great in the Tampa Bay area this summer! With all the bait around and afternoon thunderstorms cooling off the water temperatures, fish have been feeding and anglers have been catching. As mentioned before early morning has been the best bite for the flats. Snook and Redfish have been tucked in under the mangroves on high tides and are feeding on the smaller baits so make sure to match the hatch. Spanish Mackerel have been on deeper drop offs, artificial reefs and main channels, these fish like deeper water and tidal flow. A 1/0 longshank hook will help catch these toothy Pelagics. Mangrove Snapper are holding near rocky bottom and structure, a knocker rig with a 1/0 Trident circle hook has been doing the trick.

That’s all we got on our report for August be on the lookout for next month’s fishing report!

Wishing you tight lines and fair winds from Inshore Society.

Have fishing questions? Feel free to contact our Captains.

Fall Fishing in Tampa, Florida 2016

It’s November and Tampa Bay is in a full fall weather pattern.  By now the air temperature has been averaging in the pleasant seventies and as the water temperature reaches the magic number of around seventy-five degrees it has sparked the fish to prepare for the winter months ahead; meaning they will be feeding heavily. Fish have started to migrate into the creeks and rivers where they will spend most of the winter months, this makes it for excellent fishing due to the fact that the fish stage up in large numbers and some days it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Snook, Speckled Trout, Redfish and Spanish Mackerel have been the hot bite inshore this time of year.

Bait has been consistent and can still be found on the flats. Searching for bait can be one of the most frustrating parts of fishing but also one of the most important; except for all the artificial anglers, you guys can skip past this section and if your not a morning person then your local bait shop is your best option. Ever heard of the saying, "The early bird gets the worn"? Well, this is key in successfully netting bait. I have found that dawn is the prime time to be staged up on a flat chumming for bait. One of the main indicators that there is bait on a flat is going to be pelicans, if you find pelicans diving into the water that is a sign that there is most likely some bait in the area. When you find the bait anchor up and mix some purina tropical fish food with menhaden oil and water in a small bucket to an oatmeal texture. Start to throw dime size pieces in the same area to get the bait fish to school up; GIVE IT TIME! at least 10-15 minutes or until you see the bait getting thick. You also want to be aware of the tidal flow and the position of your boat, make sure that you see the direction that the chum is drifting and make and adjustment on where you are throwing it. It's not fun when you have the chum and bait drift away from you and your unable to reach it with the net.

Our top cast net of choice is a 3/8 mesh 12ft. A cast net of this size allows you to cover a large area and decreases the amount of throws you will be making. If the bait in your area is small I would suggest using a 1/4 mesh net, this will prevent your bait from getting gilled in your net.

By now you should have blacked out all your livewells and your boat should look like you just pulled it out of the showroom floor. Wishful thinking at its finest.

Well, lets go fishing!

Upper Tampa Bay has been on fire right now. Fishing the creeks with moving water has been producing a great bite ; Snook, Speckled Trout, Redfish and the occasional Spanish Mackerel have all been caught. Look for the fish to be staging up near oyster bars, mangrove lines and drop off's. Try different locations till you find them and when you do continue to fish the area because they will most likely be schooled up. Fishing with the tides will be your best bet, as the tide goes out start inside the creek and work your way out with the tide, do the complete opposite for an incoming tide.

Tackle of choice: TFO GIS 7' Medium action rod, Penn Fierce II, 15lbs Ohero braid and 25lbs Ohero fluoro Carbon with a #1 Trident circle hook.

Get out on the water and enjoy this great fall fishing!

Fall Flounder Fishing

I’ll never forget the first time a brought home a flounder; it was a traumatic experience for the wife. All her life, she imagined a flounder to look like the one from The Little Mermaid. I guess Disney doesn’t think of these things though, and I had to be the one to destroy a childhood memory. All was forgiven that night at dinner.  

As the temperature continues to cool down and water clarity increases, we will start to see flounder in the Tampa Bay area. These fish can be found in hard bottom areas with any type of structure. Tidal flow is crucial, and you want to search for them in a depth of 4 to 12 feet. Flounder bury themselves waiting for the tide to push small Clupeidae and Crustaceans past them, then they lunge out and strike.

A common technique used by most anglers targeting flounder is to put a split shot on live bait; this will bring bait to the bottom and slow them down, increasing the hook up rate. Using artificial bait at times can be more productive than live bait due to the ability of covering a larger area with continuous cast. Again, you want to use a jig head that will allow your jig to work the bottom. It will be slow; think of working a worm for bass. I know that’s why we don’t really bass fish, but hey, it’s a small sacrifice for one of the best tasting fish in our area.

We hope that you find this information helpful, and if you have any questions please reach out to our captains.

Book a charter with Inshore Society today to get hooked up!