Redfish, snook,trout,flounder and some very good fighting jacks have all been around to make for some great drag screaming and rod bending action on light tackle.

On a couple of recent outings I took along my video camera. I wanted to get the action on film,but I will warn you I am not the best camera man around. On one of the outings I was actually just scouting out some area for redfish,so I was by myself and had to fight the fish and hold the camera at the same time. Really not an easy thing to do. On the other occasion a good friend of mine asked me if my wife and I would go out for a morning trip with him.  I took him up on the trip as I don’t often get to kick back and just have fun anymore as I am always the captain.

I hope you enjoy the videos.

If you would like to book a trip with a Tampa Bay Fishing Guide then feel free to contact me.

Capt. Steve Betz

Some of the many Pelicans being cared for

On the week end of the 10th I was to fish in the 4th of a series of Xtreme Redfish tournaments I have been fishing with my partner Justin Ascherman. The rain had stopped and it was time to get our game on. Pre-fishing proved productive as we found a nice school of slot sized fish in the 3 pound range with bigger fish mixed in at upper and over slot in the 7 pound range. We  set our plan in motion Saturday morning for the tournament.  Our goal was to get to fish in the live well and then work on upgrading to heavier fish. This tournament is a combined weight of two fish weighed in. The fish have to be with in the legal size limit of 18 to 27 inches. Our plan worked our very well as we took second place with total weigh of over 12 lbs and also won in the big fish category with a 7.63 lb Redfish.

Tampa Bay Charter 7.63 lb Redfish

After the second place finish I was ready for a vacation. OK not really but my wife have planned a vacation every July for the last 3 years to go scalloping. We spent a week in Crystal River with a group of good friends and scalloped every day. Its a great event for everyone collecting the clam like shell by snorkeling in 3 to 6 feet of Crystal Clear water. As a bonus the tender morsel of meat inside the shells makes for a variety of recipes.  If you think this is something you would like to try there are a lot of guides in the area who specialize in scalloping trips. Just do a Google search.

Tampa Bay Charter Scalloping

Tampa Bay Charters Scallops

After a week long fun filled vacation it was time to get back to fishing. I had the opportunity to fish for the FWC  tag and release program. The mission was to catch,tag and release as many Mangrove Snapper and Grouper as we could. Along with fellow anglers Jim and Mark and Brent from the FWC  along we set out to get it done. In all we caught over 20 Mangrove Snapper in the 17″ size range and several under sized grouper. We ran out of bait at about 2 am and called it a day. It was an interesting experience that I hope to participate in again.

Well with lees than a week left in the month I have to get back out on the water to make sure I can keep up with the fish to provide the most successful days for a Tampa Bay Charter.

If you are looking for a Tampa Bay Fishing Guide please feel free to contact me

As always thank you for stopping by to check out my reports.

Capt. Steve Betz

Its been a very hot summer so my trips have been early morning to get the bite and beat the heat. By 11 am most anglers are ready to get off the water as the heat can get unbearable and the bite slows down.

Besides the trout there have been Jack Cravelle and Spanish Mackerel in the mix. Tarpon are still here but to my dismay they have been very picky for me and I have not been able to get the hook up.

Here are a few pictures from some recent charters.

Susan with a nice keepr

Dillion shows off a Jack he caught

Loren caught this trout while trying to catch Grouper from a deep water dock

Lynsey and Paul with an early morning limit

As always thanks for checking in to read the reports.

If you would like to book a trip with a Tampa bay fishing guide go to my contact page.

Thank you Capt. Steve

Tarpon have been a very hot item with fish rolling on the beach and being caught at the bridges and passes. Either a large sardine or thread fin pitched to them on the beach or free lining pass carbs at the bridge and pass have been the ticket to hooking up.

Black Drum are still in the area with fish in the 30 to 40 pound range being caught on light tackle at the bridges. Sighting the fish and then sight casting to them with a blue crab gets some quality fish.

For the meat eater in the crowd Trout have been topping the charts for flats fishing. Getting a limit is all in a mornings work. Live sardines either free lined or under a cork has been getting the job done.

Trout

I enjoy catching fish now and then

Spectacular jumps make Tarpon fishing exciting!

Thank you for checking in and reading the reports.

If you would like to book a trip for a Tampa Bay charter please feel free to contact me.

Capt. Steve Betz

I had a couple of trips this week and Snook has been the dependable bite.  On Monday I had Gary and Carl along for a half day of snook action. The bite started a little slow with one hook up and a break off. After making a couple of moves and waiting for the tide to get just right it was all about catching. Gary and Carl hooked over 20 nice fish but due to break offs and hook pulls they boated seven nice snook.

Gary with a nice 29" Snook

Carl displaying one of the Snook he caught

In between charters I spent as much time on the water scouting. Getting the right bait is very important so time was spent looking for that as well as nice fish to catch. I found the bait now time to find more fish. I found an area holding some fat trout but also found a shoreline that had snook and redfish. I put this information in my mental locker to use on Friday when I had the pleasure of guiding Gary, B.J. and Nick for the Tamco Foundation Glad Slam tournament. For those not aware Tamco is a  non profit organization benefiting wounded vets. Gary and B.J (aka Stumps) were both wounded in attacks as they served in Iraq.

Gary and B.J. both informed me that they had fish this event twice before. When they told me the name of the Captains they had fished with I have to admit I was a bit nervous  as both of them are well seasoned anglers with reputations in the bay area that I now for the next six hours had to live up to.

Our first stop would be to try and knock the trout off of our species of fish to catch. It did not take long and Gary put two trout to the boat one being the a very fat 17 inch-er. We stayed on the spot a while longer trying to upgrade our catch but it was not to be.

The tiding was moving in now so it was time to work that shoreline I had found those snook and reds on earlier this week. It started out slow in this area with one hook up and a lose boat side. Fortunately these guys were patient and kept the mood light with there humor and stories. We continued to move from spot to spot until we got on a decent bite. We were able to get a couple of more snook in the boat with the largest at this point being 24″. I thought for sure we would get a Red in the mix but it just did not happen. Time was running out for this area so another move was to be made.  The next stop proved to be a good producing spot. We had some good solid hook ups and after losing some very big fish to there leader fraying tactics B.J. boated a nice 29″ fish.  We had one more hook up after that on a fish that would of easily exceeded 30″ but it was not to be.

It was time to head back in at this point. I was feeling a little down about the fact we did not get the redfish as that could of put the guys in the money so to speak. We got back to the dock and as we unloaded a gentleman came up and asked the guys how it went. The words out of there mouths made me feel very proud. They all exclaimed it was The best trip they had had yet!

I don’t have any pictures of there fish as they have not emailed them to me yet but I did get a group shot back at the dock.

B.J. with a solid 29 1/4" snook

Nick with a 24" snook

L to R Nick, B.J.(aka stumps) proud captain and Gary

If you have never caught Spanish Mackerel now is the time to give it a try. These toothy critters are a blast to catch on light spinning gear. You can expect a lot of cut offs as these mini torpedoes have razor sharp teethe.

The first order of business is to get the right bait. Sardines are perfect baits and can be found right now at some of the local bridges. If you can not get sardines you can slow troll some silver spoons.

I like to use anywhere from 40 to 60 pound test mono leader and a long shank  J -hook in the 1/0 size. Anchoring around the bridges and structure is a great place to start. I will chum a little with some of the baits and then free line some to get the bite.

We had our share of cut offs and losses but we did manage to put several to the boat. We also caught a few snapper but most were right around the 14″ range.

Spanish Mackerel

Toothy Critter

Mangrove Snapper

I know these are not the largest fish you have ever seen or maybe even caught but they put up a drag ripping fight on light tackle and make great table fare. There is a limit of 15 mackerel per person per day and they have to be at least 12 inches to the fork.

If you have children this is something sure to please them as these fish will keep the rods bent.

Thanks for checking in on the reports. I will be on the water this week and will keep you updated as to what kind of action Tampa Bay has to offer.

Capt. Steve Betz

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

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!

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.