Inshore Fishing Report
Snook are biting well around the passes, beaches, and flats in the upper and back bay areas. The best times to target them are at night, early morning, or late afternoon, as the heat of the day tends to make them more lethargic. Live baits such as greenbacks, threadfins, and shrimp are effective, while flair hawks and soft plastics work well at night.
Trout action is thriving around dock lights and bridge lights at night, as well as the edges of the flats. They are particularly fond of live white bait and free-lined shrimp this time of year. If you prefer not to use soft plastics, these live baits will yield great results.
Tarpon activity is high around the mouth of the bay and on the bridges. With the new moon approaching, expect even more action as the tidal flushes bring these powerful fighters closer.
Sharks are abundant along the beaches and throughout the area. Big baits and heavy tackle are proving successful for those targeting these formidable predators.
Mangrove snapper are thick around most structures, responding well to smaller baits and lighter tackle setups with minimal weight. Live shrimp and cut threadfins are particularly effective.
Black drum are commonly found around docks, bridges, and even around mangroves. These strong fighters are biting on live shrimp and cut bait fished on the bottom.
Fishing Tips
- Snook: Use live baits like greenbacks, threadfins, and shrimp, or try flair hawks and soft plastics at night.
- Redfish: Look for them around mangroves, oyster bars, and flats, and use dead baits during higher tides.
- Trout: Target them with soft plastics, white bait, and shrimp around deeper flats and potholes.
- Tarpon: Target them during the full moon with crab flushes, making it an ideal time to target them.
- Flounder: Find them near sandy bottoms and structures, biting on bottom baits.
- Pompano: Be prepared to move frequently to stay on their bite.
- Sharks: Use big dead baits in areas with moving water.
Help spread the word about what to do if you hook or entangle a bird. Never cut the line; instead, reel in the bird carefully to dehook and release it. If you accidentally hook a dock, break the line at the hook to avoid leaving any line in the water. Seabirds with fishing lines hanging from them are becoming more common, and this could lead to the closure of fishing areas.
Rising concerns about bird entanglements might result in closing fishing spots, impacting the few available locations around Tampa Bay from shorelines, docks, bridges, or piers. Learn more in our recent podcast with Salt Strong: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/shutting-down-fishing-at-busy-pier/.
Nearshore Fishing Report
lane snapper are prevalent starting around 40-60 feet of water. They are biting well on cut squid, cut threadfins, and live shrimp, although larger lanes prefer cut threadfins or bigger shrimp. Due to the season, live shrimp supplies are limited and often smaller than usual. This should improve around September.
Mangrove snapper near shore are hitting cut threadfin and live shrimp. Larger mangroves can be caught using small to medium pinfish. These snapper are found in deeper near shore waters and are particularly active on our ten-hour all-day and five-hour half-day trips.
Red grouper season closed at the end of June but will reopen on January 1st. In the meantime, we’re focusing on lanes, mangroves, and other heads and tails near shore.
Yellowtail snapper are being caught occasionally on ten-hour trips, especially in deeper near shore waters. They respond well to smaller strips of chewy baits like bonita strips or cut squid.
**Don’t forget, that we have some great videos on our fishing tips and tricks page here to show you how to target and rig for the hogfish -> https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/fishing-tips/
Seasonal Openings:
- Red grouper: Open until the end of June
- Triggerfish: Open all year except June & July
- Amberjack: Open May, September & October
- Red snapper: Open June 1st – August 27th (close August 28th at 12:01am)
- Gags: Will open September 1st for 1, 2, or maybe 3 weeks (we will know end of June)
- All other species: Open all year
Fishing Tips
- Red Grouper: Target the deepest near shore waters with big dead baits or solid live baits. Use 60 lb test and 7/0 hooks for best results.
- Red Snapper: Use big dead baits like whole squid and bonita strips with heavy tackle to focus on larger fish. Prime trips include the 12-hour extreme, 39-hour, and 44-hour trips.
- Scamp Grouper: Use small to medium pinfish and cut threadfin, especially while targeting mangrove snapper.
- Mangrove Snapper: Near shore, use live shrimp and small chunks of threadfin on 30-40 lb test with 3-4/0 hooks. Offshore, use bigger chunks of cut threadfin or medium pinfish on 40-60 lb test with 5-7/0 hooks.
- Vermillion Snapper: Start around 100 feet of water using cut squid or threadfin. These fish are aggressive and not leader-shy.
- Yellowtail Snapper: Use shrimp, cut squid, and threadfin.
- Pelagic Species: Keep flat lines and pitch rods ready for sailfish, kingfish, wahoo, tuna, and mahi mahi.
Offshore Fishing Report
Red snapper are abundant offshore, with catches weighing 20-25 lbs on our 12-hour extreme and 39-hour adventures. The largest red snapper are often caught on big live baits like monster spot tails, porgies, or white grunts. The season remains open until the end of August, providing ample opportunity to target these prized fish.
Scamp grouper are being caught on our 12-hour extreme, 39-hour, and 44-hour trips. They respond well to small to medium pinfish while targeting mangrove snapper.
Yellowtail snapper fishing has been excellent offshore. These fish prefer smaller strips of bonita or cut squid, about an inch or two long and a quarter inch cubed, to fit their smaller mouths.
Vermillion snapper are cooperating well, with good numbers and sizes being reported offshore. They are typically found in waters around 100 feet or deeper, responding well to cut squid or threadfin.
Porgies, almacos, and other heads and tails are common catches offshore. Mutton snapper have also shown up, with some trips landing good numbers. An extreme trip recently caught four keeper muttons, and a few 39-hour trips have reported mutton snapper as well.
Remember that when fishing in deeper nearshore and offshore federal waters, the Descend Act requires you to have a descending device or venting tool “rigged and ready.” If you know how to use a venting tool, keep it prepared. If not, here’s some helpful advice: https://bit.ly/3L5HTnv. Using a descending device is straightforward and doesn’t require as much precision or practice as venting. You can even get over $100 worth of descending device gear for free by taking a short course on barotrauma mitigation, which helps more fish survive. The course only takes about 10-15 minutes, and you can learn valuable techniques to protect our offshore fishery. Spread the word by visiting: https://returnemright.org/.
TERMS OF REFERENCE-
Inshore: This covers the areas from the inner bays, through the bridges, and right up to the beaches.
Near Shore: This includes the coastal waters from the beaches up to twenty miles offshore, or up to a depth of 100 feet.
Offshore: This extends from twenty miles offshore or from a depth of 100 feet and beyond.
For more fishing reports, photos, videos, and other content, check out Hubbard’s Marina on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest, or Snapchat by searching for @HubbardsMarina. Remember our family motto: “If you’re too busy to go fishing, you’re just too busy!” Thank you for reading our report.
Capt. Dylan Hubbard, Hubbard’s Marina
Phone or text: (727) 393-1947
Website: Hubbard’s Marina
