Fishing report
Inshore-
Mangrove snapper action is still going well throughout the area right now. Essentially any structure around the area will hold hungry mangrove snapper including docks, bridges, seawalls, jetties, rock piles, piers, and others. If there is a place to find cover and bait around the mangroves will be there ready to eat. Using some chum is a great way to get them feeding more actively and on start or end of the tide is best time to target them so you can free line or use minimal weights and still feel their quick bites. Small pieces of bait and lighter tackle is key for the mangroves. However, they are so thick we are seeing some guys catching them on the flats using soft plastics.
Snook action was a little slower this past week due mostly to weather making it difficult to target them. However, that turbulent condition still has them feeding well. During the day the beaches, flats and mangrove shorelines are all holding hungry and active snook. At night passes are where they are feeding best around the docks, bridges, and jetties. Using soft plastics, swim baits, lipped plugs and flairhawks are all good options to target snook. For live bait, they are eating just about anything, but the live shrimp or pigfish are the most commonly used baits. Big snook will take cut bait on the bottom or even small live mullet or ladyfish!
Redfish action was a little better this past week around the area as the rain had those fish moving and feeding more actively. Rain pushes more freshwater into the bays and passes and moves their prey items around and stirs up the water making it murky and full of food for the redfish to spread out and actively feed. Outgoing tides we have been seeing them in the passes and on the beaches. Incoming tides have been better in the back bay areas on the flats and mangrove shorelines.
Trout are feeding through the area too, and the bite has been steady on edges of the shallower flats or on top of the deeper flats during the day. At night, bridge lights and dock lights are holding plenty of hungry trout. Soft plastics are best for trout, but live shrimp or white bait are great live bait options for them.
Triple tail still around the bay and along our beaches but lately they have been down in the water column or even on the bottom. Using split shots to sink your live shrimp down a marker buoy or trap line is a great way to find some nice triple tail around the bay area right now.
Tarpon are still here but are getting more tricky as its gets later in the summer season. Typically, by early to mid-August most of those fish have moved on. However, there is a contingent of ‘resident’ tarpon that hang out in the Tampa Bay area all year. These fish are hanging around the bridges of the bay right now and still at the mouth of passes and around Egmont key were still seeing plenty of nice fish being caught and released.
Near Shore –
The weather has been super tough this past week for near shore fishing. We haven’t been able to get out there most of the week, but we did have a good weekend and start of the week before this tropical rain and winds put a halt to our fishing opportunities. This past weekend we saw some good action on lane snapper, a few mangroves, and some red grouper around 60-100ft on our 10 hour all day and our private fishing charters aboard the HUB.
Great time to use dead bait over the weekend behind the weather. When the water is stirred up and dirty that dead cut bait is the best option to start fishing your near shore spots. Also, keep in mind behind the weather the fish will often be congregated on those bigger near shore structures like bigger ledges, rock piles and artificial reefs.
The mahi mahi bite was not happening for us this past weekend but that doesn’t mean they have disappeared. Behind this rain I would imagine they would be out a little deeper for awhile till the near shore waters clear back up. Besides these guys occasionally showing up the pelagic action is pretty much nonexistent near shore right now until you get offshore past 100ft of water.
Offshore-
The weather has just plain stunk out there offshore this past week. Luckily, we were able to get a 39 hour out there this past weekend but besides the big boat, there weren’t many other options. We were able to get a nice big pile of fish this past weekend on our 39-hour trip. However, it was not an easy feat due to a picky bite. We really had a tough night bite and during the day was more of the same. We kept on it and we stumbled across a nice show towards the end of the day and the fish finally chewed for us and we pulled hundreds of fish off two spots to end the trip with a bang and a full limit of red snapper too!
The fishing has been a little picky, but if you stick and move and keep hunting often times, we are getting them either early morning or later afternoon. The mid-day bite has been a little tough lately due to the heat and currents. Hoping that this tropical system stirred things up enough to shake up these fish for the last few days of the private rec season and the last week of the fed for hire season for red snapper. Remember, the private rec season ends at mid night on the 25th of July and the Fed for hire season ends midnight on August 1st. I would bet that the private rec season will see a fall extension, but the fed for hire season will likely stay unchanged.
Gag grouper have been a little tough out there compared to the start of June, but we did have a pretty good weekend this past weekend ahead of that low pressure pushing into our area. I have a feeling that is what made the gags start chewing well for us. There are good numbers of them still in the offshore waters you just have to look hard for the biomass and then they got to be willing to eat.
Red grouper fishing has been steady out there from around 100-160ft of water around those hard-bottom bait shows, shell bottom and those potholes. However, the mangrove snapper fishing has been tougher this summer with a really spotty showing of mangroves.
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
Red snapper season is STILL GOING until end of day August 1st! We do not have too much time left in this short season to get after these hungry red snappers. There are still quite a few 39-hour trips with some decent room left. We are pretty much full up on the 12-hour extreme trips but there is the occasional cancelation if you don’t mind checking in often on the online booking system.
Amberjack open up staring August first! These guys are tricky in the warm months of August and September but were hoping they pick up for us in October before they close again at the end of October.
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
