Inshore-
Mangrove snapper are still thick throughout the area on the structures. Especially inside the bay around the shipping channel we are seeing plenty of mangrove snapper feeding well. They love docks, bridges, rock piles, and anywhere that holds bait and gives them a place to hide and ambush that bait. Small pieces of live shrimp or white bait and light tackle are king for the mangrove snapper.
Redfish are picking up throughout the area right now and will only get better as fall approaches. They are really showing up around the dock lines, mangrove shorelines and grass flats with big schools showing up on some flats in the bay. We see them on the bottom in deeper waters eating cut bait or slow-moving soft plastics. During the day, the cut bait works well too on the flats or around the mangroves along with those soft plastic paddle tails.
Snook action is thinning out a bit in the passes, but there is still plenty of fish around at night stalking the bridge lights and dock lights of the passes. However, it seems the average size overall is starting to get smaller and the numbers are thinning. Many of these snook are starting to move back into the bays and getting ready for their fall and wintertime move back around the mouth of our local rivers. However, right now many of them around the flats, mangroves, oyster bars and dock lines feeding well still.
Trout action going well on the deeper flats during the day, edges of the shallower flats and at night were seeing good trout action around the bridge lights and dock lights. These guys are loving slow moving jerk baits, soft plastics, or the DOA shrimp for artificials. Also, the live shrimp and white bait work well for plenty of trout too.
Flounder action steady in the area, mostly around the dock lines and seawalls where sandy areas can be found adjacent to the structure. We are seeing some nice flounder caught when working the bottom for them. As the water cools this action should only get hotter.
Mackerel are pretty thick around the bay from the Howard franklin to the mouth of tampa bay. We are seeing them along the beaches too. Local fishing piers in the mornings are a great place to target the mackerel.
Triple tail bite has picked up around the bay on the markers and buoys. We will see more and more soon. These guys love free lined live shrimp but will also take green backs and artificial lures that mimic either that come within striking distance of their structure they are hiding next too.
Near Shore-
We had a killer near shore bite towards the end of this past week around 70-100ft of water. The start of the week too produced some awesome catches. We have had a few tough days as the pressures fluctuated between like Tuesday and Wednesday. However, this coming weekends distressed weather should bring some good action behind it.
The red grouper bite still is heating up around 70-100ft of water. You can start to find them around 70-80ft but they are good all the way through the near shore waters. We are doing best drifting over large areas of hard rock bottom and catching decent numbers. However, we are getting a few at anchor. The squid strips, live pinfish, or whole threadfins are great options for the red grouper. We are seeing them loving the butterflied dead baits too like squirrel fish or the white grunts.
Lane snapper and vermillion snapper are pretty thick around this depth too. We are seeing some good steady snapper action mixed in with the red grouper. The mangrove snapper are few and far between but some decent size around with the lanes and vermillion.
We are seeing some mackerel around the beach to the near shore artificial reefs, but not much else pelagic wise near shore. As the water cools a bit we should see a huge resurgence in mackerel follow by the kingfish. However, water temps are still far from that range to spark the fall run. Around 78 degrees is the temp we will start to see them showing back up typically close to the full moon phase too.
Offshore-
Still a crazy amberjack bite going offshore. We are seeing them mostly out fairly deep from 150 to around 200ft of water on the big structures like springs, wrecks or big peaks. They love the big live baits we catch while out there like the big knobbed porgies or big squirrel fish. The big blue runners also work well too. Anything big and lively that’s legal to be used for bait with the big tackle is a great option for the amberjack. The vertical jigs work well too, we had a group slow pitch jig fishing on the last 39 hour who all tore through some big jacks.
Big gag grouper are out there in the deep too. We are seeing a handful of them inshore, scattered near shore, but the big biomass and concentration of the gags are still out deep. Like amberjack, they like the big live baits and you need the big tackle to land these guys. Typically, we are seeing them around 120-140ft and beyond. The deeper we go the bigger the gags it seems lately.
Red grouper are biting well offshore too, but we are seeing them a biting best a bit shallower around 100-160ft of water. Like near shore, the squid strips, live bait or whole threadfins are great options for red grouper action.
We are seeing the mangroves around that same depth of the red grouper. They are leader shy right now though and around 40-50lb floro with double snelled hooks and a threadfin or sardine plug are great options to catch you the mangrove snapper.
Pelagic action is fairly sparse right now, but we are seeing tuna and kingfish occasionally on the flat lines and trollers. Plus, there should be a wahoo bite turning up any day now. September is typically a great time for the pelagics so were expecting that to turn on for us more and more.
For more fishing reports, photos, videos and more check out Hubbard’s Marina on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Snap Chat just simply search @HubbardsMarina and don’t forget our family motto, “If You’re too busy to go fishing, You’re just too busy!” Thanks for reading and checking out our report – Capt Dylan Hubbard, Hubbard’s Marina – Call or Txt me anytime at (727)393-1947 | https://HubbardsMarina.com
Upcoming up at Hubbard’s Marina
Trigger fish OPENED for a short season starting Sept 1st until end of day Oct 25th! Come join us for a long range trip for a chance at a big keeper trigger, these guys are GREAT eating fish!!
During the week a great time to visit! If your one of those who can escape during the work week this is the time of year to visit us. We have had super light loads during the week on our 5,10 and 12 hour trips! Plus, the 39 hours are averaging only 50-60% full lately too especially during the week.
Weekends are still much less busy then they were in the summer, so either way it’s a good time of year to get out on the water!
Mangrove snapper action picking up on our long range overnight trips, Plus we are seeing some big jacks too! Amberjack are only open until end of October so don’t miss out!
WE ADDED NEW 39 HOUR TRIPS in for the end of October on Friday October 23rd and also Tuesday October 27th and the Tuesday 10/27 trip is right before the full moon as well! Hoping you guys can book it up and join us for some great chances at gag grouper, amberjack, red grouper, mangrove snapper and MORE!
Don’t forget about our brand-new system that allows you to now TEXT OUR OFFICE if you’d rather not call us! Now you can call or text us at (727)393-1947 so for quick questions or updates or anything you can reach out even easier.
Fox 13’s Good Day Tampa Bay show has picked up a fishing segment with Capt Dylan Hubbard Scheduled for every Friday morning starting around 8:15am! These segments will have tons of fishing tips, tricks, updates and more. Please tune into Fox 13 on Friday mornings to watch the show and if you are not local, you can watch it LIVE on their website -> http://www.fox13news.com/live
Enjoy learning more about fishing? Attended a seminar or watched our LIVE Q&A show Sunday nights but want to see the tips and tricks in action on the boat? We have filmed a mangrove snapper, grouper and red snapper mastery course with Salt Strong and they built me my own private page to give my fishing friends steep discounts on these crazy cool courses… PLUS, you also have the opportunity to become an insider member and join the community with great giveaways, raffles, the strike score tool, spot dissections, tons of free fishing videos and tips for inshore, near shore and offshore and MORE this is a super cool family of anglers and the positivity and openness of anglers is wild in this group… in the community people share what they caught, when the caught it, what tide they caught it, what bait or lure they caught it one and often WHERE they caught it too… you HAVE to check this out if you like fishing: https://SaltStrong.com/Hubbard
Regular’s club
We are officially into the 2020 year and our 2020 regular’s club is solidifying. If you have not renewed your membership has become inactive and your discount is no longer working. Please make sure to call me and get set up again when you have time so that way your 2020 bookings will have your discount attached when you show up for your trips! We can sign you up via phone or in person, and it is always easier ahead of your trip.
If you are not a member, but you’d like to be we are doing our NEW member sign ups. Give me a call or email and we can talk about the clubs and get you signed up ASAP. Once you sign up your discount becomes active and stays active until December 31st, 2020!
Remember, you can now call or TEXT our main office line – (727)393-1947
Captain Dylan Hubbard
Vice president and Co-Owner
(727)393-1947 ext. 306
