Inshore Fishing Report
Sheepshead remain a top target right now, especially around docks, bridges, and rocky structure. Use light weight, a small piece of shrimp, clam, or oyster, and keep your bait tight to the structure—most bites feel like a faint “tick.”
Trout are also biting well and tend to stack up where they can ambush: potholes on the flats, edges of deeper grass, and anywhere current funnels bait. At night, dock lights and bridge lights can be excellent—shrimp, slow-sinking twitch baits, and soft plastics worked patiently get it done.
Redfish are still around, often relating to oyster bars, mangrove shorelines, and deeper flats; on slower tides, focus on the “throat” of a flat or a cut where water must move.
Flounder are a strong bonus bite—drag a soft plastic or jigged shrimp along sandy edges near structure and pause often.
Black drum show best around bridges and deeper structure with shrimp or crab.
Snook are tucked back in the bay and rivers looking for warmer, darker bottom and wind-protected shorelines; fish solunar majors/minors and present baits slowly—less is more when water cools or the tide is weak.
Fishing Tips
- Snook: Use live baits like greenbacks, threadfins, and shrimp, or try flair hawks and soft plastics at night.
- Redfish: Look for them around mangroves, oyster bars, and flats, and use dead baits during higher tides.
- Trout: Target them with soft plastics, white bait, and shrimp around deeper flats and potholes.
- Tarpon: Target them during the full moon with crab flushes, making it an ideal time to target them.
- Flounder: Find them near sandy bottoms and structures, biting on bottom baits.
- Pompano: Be prepared to move frequently to stay on their bite.
- Sharks: Use big dead baits in areas with moving water.
Help spread the word about what to do if you hook or entangle a bird. Never cut the line; instead, reel in the bird carefully to dehook and release it. If you accidentally hook a dock, break the line at the hook to avoid leaving any line in the water. Seabirds with fishing lines hanging from them are becoming more common, and this could lead to the closure of fishing areas.
Rising concerns about bird entanglements might result in closing fishing spots, impacting the few available locations around Tampa Bay from shorelines, docks, bridges, or piers. Learn more in our podcast with Salt Strong: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/shutting-down-fishing-at-busy-pier/.
NEarshore Fishing Report
Near shore, hogfish are always a premium bite—live shrimp on a knocker rig with a long leader (10–15 feet of 30 lb fluorocarbon) is the go-to. Use a 4000–5000 size spinner with 20–30 lb braid, 1–2 oz weight, and a 3/0–4/0 hook; let the bite develop before you swing.
Lane snapper are most consistent a bit deeper, and when they’re fired up they’ll chew squid, shrimp, and cut threadfin—bigger lanes tend to favor shrimp and threadfin chunks. ‘
Mangrove snapper are hit-or-miss but improve as you slide deeper; downsize to a smaller hook and a tiny bait when they get finicky. Red grouper show up near shore, especially on deeper hard bottom—expect shorts, but keepers do happen. Use larger baits (whole squid strips, big threadfin pieces, or live pinfish) to avoid the smallest fish and trigger the better bites.
Fishing Tips
- Red Grouper: Target the deepest near shore waters with big dead baits or solid live baits. Use 60 lb test and 7/0 hooks for best results.
- Red Snapper: Use big dead baits like whole squid and bonita strips with heavy tackle to focus on larger fish. Prime trips include the 12-hour extreme, 39-hour, and 44-hour trips.
- Scamp Grouper: Use small to medium pinfish and cut threadfin, especially while targeting mangrove snapper.
- Mangrove Snapper: Near shore, use live shrimp and small chunks of threadfin on 30-40 lb test with 3-4/0 hooks. Offshore, use bigger chunks of cut threadfin or medium pinfish on 40-60 lb test with 5-7/0 hooks.
- Vermillion Snapper: Start around 100 feet of water using cut squid or threadfin. These fish are aggressive and not leader-shy.
- Yellowtail Snapper: Use shrimp, cut squid, and threadfin.
- Pelagic Species: Keep flat lines and pitch rods ready for sailfish, kingfish, wahoo, tuna, and mahi mahi.
Offshore Fishing Report
Offshore, red grouper remain a mainstay on hard bottom, ledges, and potholes. Bigger baits catch bigger grouper—whole squid, octopus, bonita strips, and live baits are all strong plays, especially when the current isn’t ripping. Scamp grouper mix in best on medium pinfish and cut threadfin; keep leaders in the 50–60 lb range and match hook size to bait for solid hookups. Mangrove snapper are a reliable producer offshore—cut threadfin on a double-snell rig can turn “slow” into “steady” in a hurry. Yellowtail and mutton snapper become more consistent as you fish deeper and cleaner water; lighter leaders and smaller baits help when they’re picky. Pelagics are always in the mix—keep a pitch rod ready with a flashy lure or a live bait for surprise bites on tuna, wahoo, and kingfish.
Don’t forget, that we have some great videos on our fishing tips and tricks page here to show you how to target and rig for almost any species-> https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/fishing-tips/
Remember that when fishing in deeper nearshore and offshore federal waters, the Descend Act requires you to have a descending device or venting tool “rigged and ready.” If you know how to use a venting tool, keep it prepared. If not, here’s some helpful advice: https://bit.ly/3L5HTnv. Using a descending device is straightforward and doesn’t require as much precision or practice as venting. Return em’ Right has a training course only takes about 10-15 minutes, and you can learn valuable techniques to protect our offshore fishery. Spread the word by visiting: https://returnemright.org/.
TERMS OF REFERENCE-
Inshore: This covers the areas from the inner bays, through the bridges, and right up to the beaches.
Near Shore: This includes the coastal waters from the beaches up to twenty miles offshore, or up to a depth of 100 feet.
Offshore: This extends from twenty miles offshore or from a depth of 100 feet and beyond.
For more fishing reports, photos, videos, and other content, check out Hubbard’s Marina on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest, or Snapchat by searching for @HubbardsMarina. Remember our family motto: “If you’re too busy to go fishing, you’re just too busy!” Thank you for reading our report.
Capt. Dylan Hubbard, Hubbard’s Marina
Phone or text: (727) 393-1947
Website: Hubbard’s Marina
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