Tampa Bay Fishing Charters Report

Greetings from Fish This Inshore Charters,

The colder weather has arrived with the onset of continuous fronts that drop the water temps to the low to mid 50’s. This change will push the bulk of our flats fish into the or power plant outflows. Great numbers of a variety of fish species can be found in the outflow of the power plant, along with numbers of manatees. Pompano, snook, trout, reds and cobia can be found here, although snook is still out for the season. Cut work great on large snook, reds and cobia. You may even get a surprise from a resident tarpon. Pompano jigs work well in here for the ladyfish, along with pompano.

The docks should hold numbers of sheepshead, black drum and redfish so don’t be shy around the residential canals this time of year. Incredibly low tides will affect the access to some of the normal haunts but concentrate on the deeper edges of the flats until the tide gets high enough but don’t get caught when the tide goes back out. Could be a miserable hike back to the ramp without your boat. Fiddler crabs and shrimp are great baits for these dock fish. Use a #1 or 1/0 hook with a small spit shot to keep the bait in position for the bite. Some people may scrape the barnacles off the posts to chum the sheepshead up.

As these temperatures drop in the bay, the algae will die off making the water very clear. It is important to keep this in mind when setting up. You may find that a 15# test leader may work best in this clearer water. Your approach to the fish locations may require more distance for casting as to not spook the target fish. Most fish are generally more sluggish during these cold snaps and a subtler approach may be needed. When we get the warmer days during the month, seek out the sight fishing opportunities for the flats when the winds are calm.

If you are interested in a fishing trip in the Apollo Beach area please contact Fish This Inshore Charters.