Captain Jason’s Latest Tampa Bay Fishing Report: Full Moon Frenzy!
This week has been an incredibly busy and productive stretch of Catching fish here in Tampa Bay. The bite has been explosive across the inshore and nearshore zones, driven primarily by the approaching full moon tonight!
Tampa Bay Fishing Conditions
All week leading up to the full moon, the fish have been feeding like it’s their last meal. Strong tides during the new and full moon cycles push huge volumes of bait, triggering aggressive feeding. Water temperatures remain high, keeping the fish active but often pushing them to deeper edges during the heat of the day.
- Key Tide: We saw the best action on the early morning incoming tide, particularly around structure.
- Water Temp: Averaging 84°F in the shallows; look for 78°F in deeper channels.
- Bait Source: We burned through our stock of live greenbacks (threadfin herring and pilchards), which were the hot ticket. We even almost ran out on a few trips!
What We Caught and Where They’re Hiding
We have caught literally hundreds of fish this week! The variety has been spectacular, proving Tampa Bay is a world-class fishery:
- Snook: The Snook bite was phenomenal! We found the best numbers tight to the mangrove shorelines and residential dock pilings in the upper bay. Free-lining greenbacks close to the structure at the start of the outgoing tide proved deadly.
- Redfish: The Redfish action was hot on the shallow flats around the mouth of the Manatee River. The fish were tight to oyster bars, readily hitting scented soft-plastic paddle tails bounced slowly across the bottom.
- Trout: Large spotted Trout were concentrated on the deeper grass flats (5-7 feet) off the eastern side of the bay, preferring a slow-sinking lure or a popping cork rigged with a lively shrimp.
- Mackerel & Cobia: Spanish Mackerel were slashing bait schools just outside the major passes, and we picked up several nice Cobia cruising the channel markers near the Skyway Bridge.
- Sharks: The summer sharks (Blacktips and Spinners) came out to play in force, offering our clients heavy-tackle fights on nearly every trip.
Planning Your Trip: Beat the Heat and Catch Fish
If you’re looking to get out on the water this upcoming week and don’t mind the heat, the bite is too good to miss. I can guarantee that you will have a great time and catch lots of nice fish!
To maximize your success this week:
- Go Early: Beat the afternoon heat and boat traffic by booking the first trip of the day. The sunrise bite is currently the most aggressive.
- Target Structures: Focus on areas with strong current flow, like bridge pilings or channel markers, where predatory fish wait to ambush bait.
- Keep it Live: Bring plenty of fresh, lively greenbacks and maintain their quality with a good bait well.
Stay up to date on what we’re catching by checking back on our latest tampa fishing report.
(813) 956-5357
Also please feel free to visit my youtube channel searching fishnfl in the youtube search bar.