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!

Summer Time Redfish Upper Tampa Bay

Fishing in Tampa bay during the summer months provides exceptional flats fishing for Redfish. As the big schools of breeder females begin to push on the flats for mating they are also in search of their next meal and as anglers that is where we come in. These over slot redfish will be feeding on any baitfish and crustaceans that cross their path. For most inshore anglers spotting a school of Redfish on the flats creates an instant rush that gets the heart pounding. Rushing towards the school is not what you want to do in that situation, instead take a deep breath and monitor the pattern that the school is taking. This will significantly increase the odds of hooking up.

Stealth should be one of your top priorities while stalking a school of Redfish. A push pole offers the stealthiest approach at the fish, if you have a trolling motor the suggestion is to use it on the lowest thrust possible. Another option is to anchor your boat and wade to the fish. If you wish to target the over slot fish make sure to position yourself towards the front of the school and out of their predicted path; keep a sufficient amount of distance from the school. Remember that smaller Redfish (males) will be trailing the larger females; this will be your slot fish if you decide to harvest one for dinner.

Presentation will be key in getting a bite, try to make your cast out in front of the school or behind it. Casting on top of the fish at times has provided a reaction strike but it mainly tends to spook them. 

Pictured below are a few products proven to catch Redfish. 

We hope that these techniques work for you as well as they have worked for Inshore Society. Please feel free to contact our Captains with any questions.

Tight Lines!

When It Rains It Bites

Its mid-May, and as summer approaches you can expect the afternoon storms to roll in. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that we must stop fishing; it can actually improve the activity in the water. Fish are already wet, so the rain doesn't bother them. However, there are some factors that will affect how these fish feed and react to the falling barometer caused by the incoming storms and rain. A falling barometer can really get the fish going, causing a total feeding frenzy. The drop in air pressure right before a storm approaches and at the beginning of a front is a great time to catch fish.

If you are on the water, you always want to check the forecast and make sure you are able to find safe cover or worst case scenario, wrap it up and head in. The bite might be really good, but nothing is worth risking a lightning bolt to the dome. If it’s light rain and no thunder or lightning, then you should be fine and can fish through it. At the end of the day, it’s your judgment and determination that will decide on what weather is safe or not. Be sure to look at your local weather radars and listen to your weather radio periodically when on a boat.

On a recent wading fishing trip, Kenny and I experienced some late afternoon thunderstorms. As we saw some weather building up in the distance, we also noticed the flat activity increased with surface strikes and heavy mullet movement. Before we could fish for long the fast moving dark clouds were upon us and we could actually feel the temperature drop and could see the rain curtain approaching. We quickly maneuvered ourselves into safe cover and decided to wait out the storm.  

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When the rain passed, we quickly realized that the water was now stirred up and cloudy with sea grass floating on the surface. We made the change from our top water lures and adjusted for the sea grass and decided to use ¼ ounce DOA jig head with a dark colored DOA CAL Shad Tail to help with the murky water. From our experience we have proven that darker baits work better in darker water and lighter colored baits work more effectively in clearer water. As we reached two oyster bars we could see fish pushing in the shallow water and finger mullet jumping around. We quickly used a stealthy approach and put ourselves into a good position to make a cast at the fish. Wasn't too long before Kenny was hooked up on what seemed like something from the show River Monsters! The fish made several long runs taking Kenny for a ride of his life, after what felt like a 15 min battle (actually 5 minutes) he managed to bring the beast to the shore as I used my grips to land the fish of his life! 

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40" Snook weighing well over 30lbs! Moral of the story is not to let a little rain ruin your fishing trip when it can actually improve your chances of catching more fish.