Tampa Bay Fishing Report
Capt. Scott Greer of Stray Dog Charters out of Cortez Florida has been placing his customers on top of red and gag grouper along with American red snapper. Capt. Scott Greer has been known within inner circles to be the best on the west coast of Florida when it comes to grouper and snapper fishing!
Capt. Sam Kimball of Legend Charters out of Bradenton on Cortez Road said his offshore charters are producing lots of grouper and snapper for his charters, plus mackerel, triggerfish, banded rudderfish and amberjack farther offshore.
Capt. Mark Johnston of Legend Charters out of Badenton said his backwater charters are producing redfish, many in the slot limits, trout in Sarasota Bay, mangrove snapper and mackerel along the beaches.
Capt Randall Fowler of Uncle Mud Fish Charters out of Bradenton, has been working the tarpon as he does every year at this time, putting his clients on some whoppers in nd around the passes and at Egmont Key in Tampa Bay!
Capt. Larry McGuire of Show Me The Fish Charters out of Cortez Florida said he’s finding hot, hot, hot palegic action offshore of Anna Maria Island. “Believe it or not we are catching lots of smoker kingfish up to 45 pounds, big cobia, mahi mahi dolphin (not flipper), red and gag grouper, American red snapper, mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, amberjacks, triggerfish, big sharks, barracudas and catch-and-release goliath grouper. The kingfish action has been hot around 65-feet with cobia hanging with them. What’s unusual is that the surface water temperature is at 90 degrees - and thats hot for Kingfish - and there is lots of bait out there for them. Best grouper and snapper action is out past the 100-foot depths.”
Capt. Tom Chaya on the Dolphin Dreams out of Holmes Beach said he’s finding tarpon fishing is holding up in the passes and beaches, trout fishing also good on better tides in the deeper seagrass beds, and redfish and snook on sandbar edges in Miguel Bay.
Capt. Zach Zacharias on the Dee Jay II out of Bradenton said that mangrove snapper are coming on strong in local bays. “They can be found with numerous gag grouper and an occasional flounder fishing any deep structure around the area. Spotted sea trout are still coming in pretty good in north Sarasota Bay. They are of average size and can be caught with whitebait, small pinfish, shrimp and plastic baits over deep seagrass beds on good tides. There are also ladyfish, jacks, bluefish and a stray Spanish mackerel in the same areas. Snook and redfish action is about-average around the area. Large reds will be schooling up on really shallow flats and schools will gang up around docks similar to a winter pattern. In the nearshore Gulf around the mouth of Tampa Bay and the southeast bay, there are numerous shark, bonito and Spanish mackerel. Tarpon should begin spawning out on the next couple of full moons as well and the big pre-spawn schools will be diminishing in size and numbers but the big herrings will still be available to anglers for several more months.”
Aaron Davis hooked this monster cobia while fishing with some of his buddies on a charter trip with Capt. Tom Chaya.
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