Fishing report
Inshore- The sheepshead bite around the pass is going well especially around the south side of the bridge and the docks of Johns Pass on small pieces of shrimp, fiddlers or cut oysters. The black drum have been thick inside the pass as well. Toby Spinelli and his buddy were catching some nice big black drum from the dock at Hubbard’s Marina using live shrimp weighted to bottom with a split shot this past week on the start of the outgoing tide. We are seeing lots of whiting caught from the north jetty of Johns Pass as well using the live shrimp or DOA lures along the sandy bottom.
Near shore- This past week we are still seeing plenty of mangrove snapper near shore along with nice hogfish, plentiful lane snapper and the occasional red grouper. Mangrove snapper are hitting the white bait we carry at the dock now very well along with live shrimp on the knocker rigs or the threadfin plugs using a double snell rig. Also, we are seeing lots of hogfish on the live shrimp and fiddler crabs using 30lb floro and 4ot hooks. The red grouper have been a little tougher to come by near shore but we have seen a few here and there mixed in with the plentiful snapper lately. Lane snapper seem to come up using squid or the live shrimp while targeting the hogfish.
Offshore – The Flying HUB 2 and Flying HUB 1 have had some great trips offshore this past week with monster scamp grouper, fat red grouper, the occasional blackfin tuna and plentiful mangrove snapper that were very large. Red grouper seem to be most common from 100-130 foot of water on the live pinfish, squid strips or the cut threadfins. Scamp grouper have been caught using smaller live pinfish or the smaller 4oz diamond jigs worked right along the bottom. Mangrove snapper offshore love the threadfin plugs on the double snell rig. Blackfin tuna are being caught mostly on the flat line using a threadfin for bait, but we see them caught while trolling on our 39 and 44 hours too especially on the rapala xrap magnum 30’s. Today we have a 44 hour full moon leaving at 10 with a super light load and next Friday January 25th we have a 39 hour leaving with a super light load as well, both trips will be a great opportunity for plentiful snapper, grouper and tuna!
Want to watch Capt Dylan Hubbard’s Daily video reports? Check out the Hubbard’s Marina YouTube channel and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE! – Hubbard’s Marina daily fishing & boating report
Upcoming up at Hubbard’s Marina
We have a super light load coming up on the January 25th 39 hour long range overnight trip leaving Friday the 25th and returning Sunday at 6am! This trip will offer 20 hours deep sea fishing time and a two day bag limit around 70-100 miles from Johns Pass. If you haven’t tried a 39 hour in the past these are great opportunities since there will be plenty of one on one time with the captain and crew and plenty of room for trolling, flat lining and vertical jigging if you want to do some alternative types of fishing instead of the typical bottom fishing for the whole trip.
Our 12 hour extreme trips right now also are going out with super light loads as well, if you are ready for some big red grouper, scamp and mangrove snapper and plenty of others it’s a great time to get out on the flying HUB 2 for some offshore fishing fun with us at Hubbard’s Marina on a Wednesday or Sunday.
The 5 hour half days and 10 hour all day right now are also carrying smaller loads of guests especially during the week! If you want a chance to go out with only 20-40 people instead of the more full trips come visit us during the week for some killer snapper fishing and light loads on board the trips!
Want to learn more about fishing locally and WIN FREE FISHING TRIPS without leaving you’re house? Don’t forget we have the Weekly fishing conversation or seminar by Capt Dylan Hubbard LIVE on the Hubbard’s Marina Facebook page if you don’t want to leave your house to catch a seminar! We also then upload this video to the Hubbard’s Marina YouTube page shortly after the live video is over. This is weekly on Sunday nights from 8:30pm until 9:30pm, check out the event page and PLEASE LIKE AND SHARE the event if you have a Facebook page, and invite your friends as well! Here’s the page to find the facebook event link, and view all the past LIVE Q&A fishing shows – https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/past-qanda-live-streams/
2019 TRIPS FILLING FAST Book your 2019 10,12, 39 or 44 hour trip TODAY while there’s still tons of open room, these trips will fill quickly so book NOW. Last year red snapper trips were filled up by end of January, so don’t miss your chance at securing your favorite trip TODAY. Here’s the link for all your 2019 12,39 and 44 hour trips – https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/specialty-fishing-trip/
Want some FREE fishing trips with us at Hubbard’s Marina? Want to learn more about near shore and offshore fishing? Check out the upcoming Bass pro shops fishing seminar with Capt Dylan Hubbard at the Tampa bass pro location. The next seminar will be Saturday February 16th at 2pm. The fishing seminar or fishing conversation will be about an hour long of fishing conversation, tips, tricks and more! Plus, at the end of each seminar Capt Dylan gives away a FREE 10 hour all day for two guests and a FREE 5 hour half day for two guests to two lucky winners of the FREE raffle. To be entered in the raffle you just have to show up around 2pm and stay for the hour seminar. Check out the Facebook event for this upcoming seminar here – https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/bass-pro-fishing-seminars/ You can also view all the past bass pro shops seminars at this page too!
Captain Jack’s dolphin corner
We have been seeing plenty of playful dolphins around Johns Pass lately and even spotting the juveniles learning how to ‘play’ and interact with their family groups. Multiple morning videos where we do the fishing and weather updates with a sunrise view have featured the playful dolphins around Johns Pass. It’s a great time to get out on the water and enjoy this beautiful weather, red tide free water, and the playful local dolphins! Here’s all the information on our dolphin watching nature cruise and eco tour – https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/dolphin-watching-cruises/
Our sunset cruise is only Friday, Saturday and Sunday this time of year but that doesn’t stop the good times! Hope you get a chance to join us for this fun filled cruise in the near future. It’s a bit more of a party atmosphere compared to our dolphin watching nature cruise and eco tour, and it doesn’t offer the full narration like the dolphin tour but there’s great music and some great jokes. Plus, the sunset cruise takes you down the beautiful gulf beaches at the golden hour with the sunset to your left and the beautiful beaches to your right. Plus, we often spot pods of the dolphins cruising the beaches too while enjoying the free beer and wine offered aboard our sunset cruise at Hubbard’s Marina inside Johns Pass Madeira Beach. To learn more about the fun filled sunset cruise with free beer and wine check out this link – https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/sunset-cruise/
Hubbard’s Marina Sea Adventures and Tampa Bay ferry are both proudly power by Honda Marine! If you come visit us for a dolphin tour, sunset cruise, Egmont key island trip, snorkeling, shelling, water taxi ride or any type of ferry or pleasure cruise trip then you will be riding a boat powered by Honda Marine! These new motors look great, are super quiet and are great on fuel economy! It was tough to get four boats re-powered with new engines but it was well worth the change and were very happy! Hope you get a chance to see these brand new super cool engines at work on board one of our pleasure cruise and ferry boats! To learn more about Honda Marine engines for your boat, check out their website: https://marine.honda.com/ they have the best warranty in the industry right now, you get a full 5 years and you just can’t beat that!
Tampa bay ferry News
Right now the water is a bit chilly to snorkel out at Egmont key island, but the weather is perfect for exploring the island’s walking paths and hiking trails and the big fort that sits on the island’s interior. Plus, this time of year the weather makes the island nearly bug free compared to the summer time when the mosquitoes can get a little thicker out there.
Also, the shelling is incredible this time of year due to less people visiting the island and the frequent cold fronts stirring up the local waters and pushing fresh shells onto the beaches. Since this is a true island nestled in the mouth of Tampa bay Egmont key island has some of the best shelling around and is harder to get to for the masses since it’s only accessible by larger boats since you have to navigate the deep shipping channel to make it to this island paradise. The Tampa bay ferry by Hubbard’s Marina offers 11am ferry rides to the island Wednesday through Sunday this time of year. You get three hours on the island after around a 20-30 minute ride out and back to the island. Plus, we often see dolphins, seabirds and sometimes even sea turtles on the ride out and back thus the ride time can fluctuate a bit depending on what we spot during the cruise out to your island oasis! For more info on the Egmont key ferry, visit this page of the Hubbard’s Marina website – https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/egmont-key-ferry-cruise/
The Shell key ferry trip is not running or offered this time of year due to the low amount of interest in the area. However, it will resume this spring starting in March with daily rides out to shell Key Island multiple times per day! For now, the only option is a day out at Egmont key with the Tampa Bay Ferry by Hubbard’s Marina.
Regular’s club
We have finished 2019 regular’s club renewals and we are starting on signing up NEW MEMBERS, if you are interested in becoming a 2019 regular’s club loyalty program member please reach out to Capt. Dylan Hubbard by sending him your name and cell number via email to [email protected]. He will be in touch in the coming few weeks about the loyalty program that offers discounted trips if you fish more than 10,15 or 20 times a year with us at Hubbard’s Marina. It also comes with some free gifts and other benefits too besides discounted trips, but it’s NOT simply a discount program. It’s a loyalty program and it requires fishing often and being a model Hubbard’s Marina guest and showing the passion shared by all of us at Hubbard’s Marina for fishing and our fellow anglers.
PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERS: be sure to renew your membership before 2018 ends!
Captain Dylan Hubbard
Vice president and Co-Owner
(727)393-1947 ext. 306
UPDATED Coupon information
FREE 10 HOUR ALL DAY FOR TWO GUESTS! Join Capt Dylan for the Sunday night live stream show that happens EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT at 8:30pm! The next two shows: Sunday January 20th and Sunday February 3rd at 8:30pm Capt Dylan will be giving away the free fishing trip for two during the show, all you have to do is tune in and watch the entire hour live Q &A fishing show! Here’s more info on the show – https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/live-q-and-a-fishing-shows/
Expires: 2/03/19
