Fishing Tampa's Flats and Bay

Archive for the ‘Fishing Reports’ Category

I know according to the calendar the first day of spring was March 20,but according to my wife it was April 1st. That date is the first time since I can remember that she has asked me to go fishing. You see my wife hates the cold. If it drops below 70 degrees that is a freeze to her. Well our temps are now rising into the 80’s and she is ready and so the fish should be also.

My last trip out was a scouting mission. I have a Redfish tournament to fish a week from now so Redfish have been on my mind. I found some nice fish but not in the quantities I would like. Of course I did not make to far of a run from the tournament launch site so I did limit myself a bit. Not to worry my partner will also be out this coming week looking. We have a huge school we can fish tournament day we just like to have more than one option.

On our scouting mission I also found some good numbers of snook. This was an exciting thing to see as our snook suffered a big hit during this past winters freezing temps.

Snook

The big Black Drum I reported on a couple of weeks ago are also still in the area. I will be taking my wife this weekend for her chance to land one.

Big Black Drum

I have had several other captains give me some good reports of  Spanish Mackerel showing up. One of my sources told me his clients put six in the box and they were fishing in the very north end of Tampa Bay. This kind of news really gets me fired up!

Grouper season just opened up and on the first day a good friend of mine made it a point to get out and get a couple for dinner in the shallow waters of the bay.

Tarpon have been sighted already. I am really liking this! If you have never done battle with the Silver King you may want to think about booking a Tarpon Charter.

Spring is here according to my wife and the fish. So get out and get after them. I know I will.

Gag Grouper

Mackerel

Thanks for stopping by and keep checking back as I keep my reports up to date.

Capt. Steve Betz

The last week or so has really gotten my spirits up about the fishing in Tampa Bay. It seems like winter has been dragging on forever,but now I think spring has sprung even if it hasn’t just jumped right out and slapped us.

Today my guest were Ted and Charlie from Michigan. These guys had me excited before we ever left the dock. They had been fishing the day before from some docks on Tampa Bay. They were telling me of their catch and what it included. One of the fish they caught was a Spanish Mackerel. That got me all fired up! These fish are a pelagic species and just hear of one caught told me the spring run is near. Trust me when they show up in force I will be one of the first to have a report up. I love these fish. Not just because they can make some good table fare,but they can also test out some light tackle with some drag ripping runs. Stay tuned for that report.

Ted and Charlie did not care to tangle with the Black Drum I had been catching but wanted a drum of a different kind. We went to an area that I knew was holding fish and after making a few adjustments Charlie got hooked up with a nice fish. Unfortunately the fish came unglued! We waited it out but a Kayaker and a couple of other boats created some unwanted pressure and the fish shut down. I made a run to try and put them on some trout and they did catch a few but not really the amount I would of like to see. A few more move produced nothing. I really thought the bite would of been a little better but hey,its fishing. I can find them but can not always make them eat.

Time was slipping away and I knew Ted had a schedule. I asked him he he could spend a little extra time out so I could try and get them the redfish they wanted. He agreed they could stay a little longer.

To make along story short I found the fish again. After setting up Charlie was first to hook up. He got a nice 25″ redfish,then Ted hooked up. He had a real bulldog on and once landed it measured just under 27″. We tried for a little while longer but the guy in the Kayak came back and with his extra pressure it drove the reds deep under the bushes.

Ted and Charlie display their Tampa Bay Redfish

My guest for this day were Tom from Naples,Fl and John and Jommie from North Carolina.

If you have been reading my reports you know that just recently the Black Drum have showed up in our area. I have been very excited about this as it has seemed like an eternity that I have caught anything besides Trout,Lady fish and Sheepshead.

It was a game of patience when we got to our destination as the tide had not started moving in and the drum had not showed. I did not want to waste the guys time so I asked a friend who was in the area to give me a call when they showed as I was going to drift some flats for trout for a while. Well no sooner than we had caught one trout on a short drift my phone rang with good news. We made a bee line back to the area and it was not long before the fun began.

We had a couple of hook ups but the huge drum came unbuttoned. Thats OK it gave the guys a little feel for what they were going to have to deal with on 15 pound test line and light spinning tackle.

First with a solid hook up was Tom. I maneuvered the boat and we broke away from the pack so Tom could do battle with his beast. I think Tom has spent a little time fishing as he seemed to handle the fish well. After a 15 to 20 minute tug of war Tom landed a nice one.

Tom and a nice drum looking happy

Another shot to get the idea of size

After some high fives and congratulations it was time to catch up with the pack. As we eased in the guys presented there baits and it seemed almost like an instant double hook up! In the back of my mind I was thinking this could go bad real fast. With two fish over 30 pounds on and a pack of boats surrounding them anything can happen! Fortunatly John and Jommie handled the situation well as there fish started ripping off drag and running around and under another boat. After some jokeying for position and some slick manuvers we were able to clear the pack and get into open water to fight the fish.

I do not think Jommie had ever caught anything this large and he was having a blast.With just a little coaching he handled it like a pro.

Double hook up!

The battle between man and monster seemed to go on forever. I was getting tired just watching,but both fish came boat side and were landed for a few quick pictures and then released.

Jommie excited to land such a monster!

John with his catch of the day!

I asked the guys if they wanted to give it another go and they were all in agreement to take another shot. Again it was a quick hook up and Jommie was on! I simply told him to do the same thing as last time and that what he did,all though he put some heat on this fish and landed it in what seemed like record time. He already had his picture with one so we revived the fish and released it.

The guys had enough fun with the drum so we set out for a drum of another kind. Red drum. Even though we found them we did not get a hook up. The guys did not catch huge numbers but they caught quality fish.

Keep checking back as I keep updating my reports.

Capt. Steve

Black Drum

Big Black Drum are invading Tampa Bay. When I say big I mean in the 30 to 40 pound class. When this happens I know things are going to change for the good. Not far behind them will be the Tarpon,Sharks ,Spanish mackerel and other spring and summer species.

It has been a long cold winter and this is a welcome change. To welcome the change I invited a couple of good fishing buddies of mine to come along today and scout it out for some of these large drum I had been hearing about. It was almost a no go trip as the weather man was making some predictions I did not feel good about. I went with my gut and proved the weather man to be wrong. The 12 mile run to the area I was told they may be was flat and smooth. Myself ,Jay and Loren could actually have a conversation and enjoy the ride. I love these days.

We arrived in the area and started searching. It did not take long and Loren was hooked up with the first Drum of the morning. After a battle that lasted about 15 minutes Loren landed one that was right around 30 pounds.

I revived and released the fish and it was time to get back to business. I was next up with a nice one on. These fish will really test your equipment. This battle seemed to go on forever but I eventually landed the beast! He was somewhere in the 40 pound class.

Another Black Drum

We worked the area for a time and put a couple of more drum to the boat. These fish are a blast to catch on flats gear. We are talking spinning reels and rods I would use for Reds ,snook and trout on the flats. Most of those don’t go over 10 pounds. With these drum showing up I know it is only a prelude of how good the fishing is going to get.

Thanks for stopping by to read the reports.

Capt. Steve Betz

This Black Drum was over 40 pounds!

What a change! Over the weekend I had back to back charters and the warmer temps and light winds were more than welcome. Clear blue skies and sunshine made the weekend fishing most enjoyable.

On Saturday I had a group of three guys from Ohio. Eric,Mike and M were a pleasure to have on the boat and there friendly banter made for some laughs. The fishing ended up being much better than it had been. I took the guys to some residential canals as I felt they would provide the best action. This first stop would produce lady fish and the guys had know problem after some short instructions casting and getting the retrieve down. I did not keep a tally but I guess they landed over 20 or so of them.

Lady fish

At times the action could get a little intense as the Pelicans are very hungry right now and they would try and grab the fish off the hook. This made for one close call of a Pelican getting hooked but between Eric and I we were able to free the bird uninjured.

On our next stop we worked another canal. This one would hold trout today. The water temp had come up just two degrees and this seemed to turn the fish on. The lure presentation was a bit different this time. But once again the guys caught on and caught around 25 trout. If they would of been keeping fish to eat they would of easily had there limits but all fish were released for future guest.

Eric w/ trout

M w/ trout

On Sunday morning I woke and got ready to head out. I was a little concerned when I got in the truck and I had ice on the windshield. In the back of my mind I could only think how this may have a bad effect on the fishing. I had no choice other than head to the ramp as my guest for this day Ed and Dennis were driving from Sarasota. They were depending on me to put them on some fish.

I knew once again our best chance was going to be fishing the canals. The fish were in the same place I left them the day before but the water temp had dropped overnight so the fish were just not as eager to eat. Ed and Dennis had the jigging down but only managed to entice a few lady’s to eat.

Dennis working the area with a jig

The bite totally shut off so we made our move to the trout canal. The guys started off with the soft plastic jigs,but it was not going to happen this way. I removed the soft plastic and and threaded a live shrimp onto the jig head. This combined with crawling the baits slowly across the bottom got the bite. In all honesty the action was very slow and only a few trout were caught.

Sunday ended up being a little cooler out than Saturday. It was still clear sunny skies but it just wasnt enough to warm the water.

Ed w/ trout

For the next week the weather is supposed to be pretty nice with temps in the 70’s. We have another front coming through but its supposed to be a mild one. Spring is supposed to begin on the 20th of the month. It can not come soon enough.

Don’t forget to check back . I will keep posting up the reports no matter how good or bad.

March is here and it came roaring in like a lion! The wind has been relentless and the cold just as bad. The weather has made for some very tough fishing conditions. I was able to get out twice in the last week and let me tell you it was not easy! Winds 15 to 20 knots out of the north west with some serious gust thrown in made for some very well planned out trips. Picking the right launch site was key to getting to areas with protection from the wind.

Canals were the main target area this past week. The fishing was slow with mainly sheepshead and lady fish being caught. The sheepshead make great table fair and the lady’s they make for some fun rod bending action.

The sheeps head were caught around the dock pilings in the canals using small live shrimp on a 1/0 circle hood weighted with a small split shot. The lady’s on the other hand were eager to eat our artificial baits. Just about any soft plastic on a 1/8 oz jig head would do the trick. Letting the bait hit the bottom of the canal and then bouncing it back along the bottom would entice the strike.

The trout bite was totally off and I think this had to do with this latest front coming thru. Sometimes the fish just get lock jaw and there is nothing you can do about it. The fishing so far this year has been very unpredictable. I know I am not the only one that hopes the weather soon breaks and we get some warm temps.

Keep checking back for more reports. Spring is just around the corner, I hope.

The weather has been brutal with below normal temps and high winds. Its been tough to get that window of opportunity to get out. But when you do you have to take it. Right now is not the time to expect a trip catching trophy sized fish but instead get larger numbers of smaller fish.

The residential canals have been a good place to get some shelter from the chilly winds. Water temps are still in the mid 50s so the fish are still a little sluggish on the bite but seem to be getting a little more aggressive. I think this may be due to the lack of bait around the bay so these fish are really getting hungry.

Notice the 55 degree water temp

The bait used on our recent outings has varied between live shrimp and a mix of artificial soft plastic baits.  Live shrimp on a 2/0 light circle hook with a small split shot about a foot up the 20 lb floro leader has been producing well and is a great choice for the angler who mostly wants to just cast,sit back and feel the bite.

Soft plastic artificial  on the other hand have produced well in different colors. Mostly we have been pairing either the Hybrids Flurry or the DOA Cal with a 1/4 oz jig head.  Casting out and letting it drop to the bottom then slowly jigging it back has produced the best strikes.

The Hybrid Flurry in assorted colors

The fish seem to be concentrated mostly in the middle of the canals with some hanging near the edges of the drop offs soaking up the warmth of the sun.

Trout caught on a DOA Cal ,pearl with chart tail

Bringing one to the boat,Spotted Sea trout

Most of the fish we are catch have been in the 17 to 20 inch keeper size range. Spotted sea trout make great table fare so you can look forward to taking some home for dinner.

Trout have been the story as of late but with some warming temps soon to come this should change. I am really hoping that March will be a new story and some of our other species will be coming to life. Its been a brutal winter so all we can hope for is that mother nature is going to show us some love soon.

Good friend Capt. Steve Nagy from Bonita Springs

With such unpredictable weather as of late it has really made the fishing a challenge. Spotted sea trout has been the main stay along with lady fish. Lady fish are what we call a poor mans tarpon. While they do not get much bigger than a couple of pounds they can keep the rods bent and pull some drag as they put on an exciting  acrobatic display.

I have been getting some very good reports of some larger spotted sea trout being caught while wade fishing. Most of the places I am being told that folks are catching them are not accessible by boat.

I have also had a report that the inshore reefs are starting to produce. Mostly sheepshead and black drum. I have not been able to get out and verify this but I will be soon. I am just waiting on a break in what seems to be cold front after cold front pushing through. Its not the cold deterring me from getting out there but the brutal north winds than make for some very uncomfortable and at times unsafe boating.

Lets hope and pray that this weather lets up and we get some calmer and warmer days.

Until then stay tuned and I will be reporting on what is happening in Tampa Bay.

This past week the fishing has been fairly decent. The water temp is now up in the low to mid 60s and that’s awesome considering it was in the frigid 40s just a couple of weeks ago.

I changed it up a bit this past week and ran my trips using mostly artificial baits. For some reason the trout seem to be responding better to artificial lures. The lures I have been using have varied depending on the water clarity. The water clarity was not very good in the Tampa bay areas I  fished this past week so the best results I got were by using a 1/4oz DOA Glow Shrimp. This is a slow moving bait and crawling it slowly along the bottom or drifting it in the current produced the most bites.

DOA GLOW SHRIMP

Winter time fishing is a totally different ball game than spring or fall when the water temp hovers in the mid 70s and the fish seem to want to chew the bottom out of the boat. Patience is the name of the game and working your baits slowly and methodically will produce the best action.

On one of my trips this week I made a move further west and fished in the Clearwater area. I love this area and I just don’t get the time to fish it as much as I would like. Small  islands dot the area and huge expanses of grass flats never seem to end.

This is a great area to set up a drift and toss soft plastic jigs bouncing them slowly along the bottom to entice the trout into biting. The DOA Shad Tail in Rootbeer with chart tail or the Pearl with Chart tail rigged on a 1/8 oz jig head seemed to do the trick.

DOA SHAD TAIL

I picked up some live shrimp for this trip and after the guys had some fun with the trout I moved and set up on a hole around 25′ deep. This turned out to be a good move. Live shrimp on a 1/0 circle hook and a split shot produce several nice sized whiting. Another move and it was sheepshead and small black drum.

The Guys with some of thier catch

This past week was a productive one and I only expect it to get better. I will be back on the water next week and I will be sure to give a report.

Spotted Seatrout can be a target species year round in Tampa Bay. Silver trout are another story as they only seem to show up in our waters when the water temp drops into the 60’s and lower. Both of the species of trout mentioned are a popular target this time of year. While spotted seatrout have limits imposed on them and a closed season,silver trout have neither a limit or season. Silvers tend to run in the 12″ range but don’t be fooled by their size. They are rather feisty on light tackle and very tasty on the dinner plate. The nice thing is both species are readily available right now so after you get your limit of  spotted seatrout you can finish off your outing with some silver trout.

Spotted Seatrout are very tasty and they can be prepared using many different methods. I prefer to fillet them and either season ,lightly batter and fry or season,coat with butter,drizzle with lime juice and broil. Silver trout tend to be to small to actually fillet so I like to scale them,gut them,cut the heads off and season,beer batter and deep fry them.

Catching both species can be a challenge. I have been finding most of the spotted seatrout in deeper creeks and canals about 3 to 6 feet. Fishing with a live shrimp,weighted with a small split shot on some 15 # test leader seems to get the best bite.

The silvers are a totally different game. Silvers tend to huddle up in the deep channels of  Tampa Bay from 15 to 35 feet deep. The method I like to use to target them is to first locate them on my bottom machine. Once found I anchor up and basically vertical jig for them. Using a 1/4 to 1/2 oz jig head baited with a soft plastic (color can vary) I will vertically jig it up and down in the water column to entice the bite. Once you get on these fish it can be one after another. I have had days when all things worked out and caught over a hundred silvers in just a couple of hours.

Now is a great time to target both species and put some tasty fish in the cooler. My personal opinion is that the cooler winter waters produce tastier trout.

Spotted Seatrout

Silver Trout