Inshore Fishing Report
Sheepshead are still thick and remain one of the most dependable inshore targets around Johns Pass, Madeira Beach, and the greater Tampa Bay area. Bridges, dock pilings, seawalls, jetties, and rock piles are all holding fish. Small pieces of shrimp, fiddler crabs, oyster, or clam on light tackle remain your best options. Use just enough weight to keep the bait in the strike zone, and keep it close to the structure. The bite is often subtle, so a short, sharp hookset is better than a big swing.
Trout are still heavy around the region and continue to provide some of the best action on the flats, along potholes, and around mangrove shorelines. During the day, target edges, deeper grass, sandy depressions, and any troughs that hold a little cooler, more stable water. Early and late remain great times, but as this warming trend continues, midday could become increasingly productive on shallower areas. Live shrimp, shrimp imitations, and small soft plastics worked slowly are ideal. In cleaner water, scale down your leader and avoid overworking the bait.
Redfish are moving around more and acting more like springtime fish. They are still around oyster bars, mangrove points, and shallow flats, but as water warms they will begin roaming more and feeding in shorter, more aggressive windows. Look for mullet, birds, and nervous bait to clue you in. Cut bait can be excellent when fish are laid up and feeding by smell, while paddletails, jerkbaits, and weedless artificials are great when you’re covering water.
Flounder are still very much in play and should continue to improve as fish become more active. Focus on sandy patches near structure, passes, potholes, and bottom transitions. Slow-hopping a soft plastic or dragging a live shrimp across bottom remains the most reliable tactic. If the bite feels heavy or just “different,” lean into the fish rather than jerking immediately.
Snook are around and should begin sliding outward more as the warming trend holds. They may still be tucked into deeper canals, creek mouths, and protected muddy shorelines in the mornings, but warmer afternoons should have them becoming more active along points, cuts, and soon even the passes. Fish solunar majors and the warmest part of the day if you’re targeting snook right now.
Blacktip sharks and bonnetheads are also active and should only become more common as spring continues to develop. If you want some extra excitement, fresh-cut bait on slightly heavier tackle can put a serious bend in the rod.
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 is in a really fun seasonal transition right now. Hogfish are still going strong, and this is a great time to target them while they remain cooperative before things get too warm. Live shrimp remains the top bait, and lighter tackle absolutely matters. A 4000 to 5000 size spinning reel, 20 to 30 lb braid, a long fluorocarbon leader around 30 lb, a 3/0 to 4/0 hook, and 1 to 2 ounces of weight is a proven setup. Focus on broken hard bottom, shell patches, and smaller ledges in the 40 to 70 foot range, and be patient. Hogfish often show after the faster pickers settle down.
Lane snapper should begin picking up as this weather stabilizes and water temperatures continue to climb. We often see that first real push of better lane action as things start to feel more springlike. Shrimp, squid, and cut threadfin are all solid options, with bigger lanes often favoring live shrimp or fresh-cut threadfin chunks.
Mangrove snapper are possible near shore, especially as you move deeper and find cleaner structure. They can be finicky in clear water, so keep a few leader sizes ready and don’t be afraid to downsize hooks and bait pieces.
Red grouper remain an option near shore, especially on the deeper hard-bottom areas. You will often sort through shorts before finding a legal fish, so bigger baits like whole squid, thick cut strips, and live pinfish can help you target better fish and avoid some of the smaller peckers.
Flounder near shore are also worth mentioning, particularly around sandy edges adjacent to hard structure in the shallower range. Often around near shore wrecks or artificial reefs this time of year we see some big doormats caught. They are not always a headline species out there, but they show often enough to keep things interesting if you fish the bottom thoroughly or bounce wrecks looking for permit.
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 fishing is setting up in a very exciting way as spring starts to show itself. Triggerfish are reopen, which adds another great-eating target to the deep-water mix and should make our offshore trips even more diverse. If you’re planning ahead, have smaller hooks and narrow strips of squid or cut bait ready, because bait size matters a lot for triggerfish.
Red grouper remain one of the strongest offshore targets. Hard bottom, potholes, low ledges, and rocky stretches continue to produce, and bigger baits remain the ticket for quality fish. Whole squid, octopus, thick strips of bonita, and quality live baits all have a place on deck. The right bait matched to the right structure is often the difference between a few shorts and a truly strong box.
Mangrove snapper continue to be a very important part of the offshore mix. Cut threadfin on a double-snell rig is still one of the best all-around producers, while small live pinfish will often draw the larger fish. If the water goes very clear, expect the bigger mangroves to get leader shy, so having a lighter setup ready can save the day especially if you hit those mid day or early afternoon calm periods.
Scamp grouper remain a quality bonus species on the right deeper structure. Medium pinfish, stout leader, and clean presentation over good ledges will keep you in the game.
Mutton snapper are still around and should continue showing more consistently as these spring patterns develop. They often reward patience, better presentation, and a lively bait. If you’re willing to fish a little cleaner and slower than everyone else, muttons can turn an already strong trip into an exceptional one.
We are also seeing plenty of heads-and-tails action offshore with vermillion snapper, porgies, and almaco jacks adding variety and keeping rods bent. Those species help fill coolers, but they also tell you when you’re on productive bottom with active life.
Most exciting of all, pelagic action feels like it is getting ready to fire up. As the water warms and bait schools become more active, the chances for blackfin tuna, kingfish, mahi, and even wahoo only improve. Keep a pitch rod ready, watch for birds and surface activity, and pay attention to current lines, temperature changes, and floating debris. That first strong push of spring pelagics is rarely far behind the first real warming trend.
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
If you’re not seeing the latest article, try clearing your browser cache.
You can search “how to clear browser cache” on Google for quick steps.
