Inshore Fishing Report
Inshore action around Tampa Bay and the beaches should remain very good, especially if you capitalize on the weekend bite ahead of the weather. Sheepshead are still one of the most dependable species in the region. Bridges, jetties, rock piles, dock pilings, seawalls, and any hard structure with barnacle or oyster growth are all worth your time. Small pieces of shrimp, clam, oyster, or fiddler crabs on light tackle and minimal weight are still the formula. Keep the bait close to structure, stay focused, and use a short, clean hookset when you feel that telltale tap. Also, we don’t have too much time before this bite will really soften up fast on us as water temps slowly continue to rise. Take advantage while you can!
Snook are very much on the move now and should continue showing more heavily in the passes and on the beaches. Ahead of a front, snook often get much more active, especially around passes, bridge shadow lines, dock corners, and current seams where bait is being pushed. When targeting snook, really pay attention to solunar majors, current seams, and areas where bait is stacking. On the beaches, get out early morning and fish sunrise till mid morning while water is clear and beach goers are low.
Trout remain one of the strongest all-around bites. They are still showing on the flats, along potholes, around mangrove edges, and near oyster bars, and they can be outstanding around dock lights and bridge lights when bait is getting swept through. Live shrimp, shrimp imitations, slow-worked paddletails, and twitchbaits are all strong choices. In cleaner water, go lighter and more subtle. In dirtier water after the front, work slower and give the fish a little extra time to find the bait.
Redfish should remain solid as well. Fish the flats, oyster bars, mangrove shorelines, dock lines, and the mouths of small cuts or troughs. On stronger moving water, look for mullet, birds, and nervous bait. On the slower tide days, redfish often position on the best remaining flow and feed shorter but more aggressively. Cut bait is always a good search tool, while weedless artificials, paddletails, and jerkbaits shine when you want to cover water and stay mobile.
Mackerel are very much in the picture inshore. Deep bridges, pass edges, tide lines, and bait-heavy stretches can light up fast especially closer to the mouth of the bay or gulf. Keep a flashy spoon, a small plug, or a free-lined whitebait ready any time you see bait showering or birds dipping low.
Black drum are still around and can be a dependable bonus around structure, especially with shrimp or crabs.
Tarpon are also right around the corner, and every stable warming stretch keeps us one step closer to seeing that first stronger push along the beaches and around the passes. Already seeing a few on bigger bridges and around Egmont.
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
Nearshore should remain one of the most exciting zones this week, especially ahead of Sunday night’s weather. Mackerel are back and going strong, and that alone tells you the whole spring machine is starting to crank up. With Spanish mackerel this active, kingfish mixed in and cobia occasionally too. Look for them along the beaches around the right bait schools, structure, and cleaner edges. If you see bait, surface flickers, birds, or even a lazy free-swimmer, be ready.
Hogfish are still a top target and a perfect species to chase while the nearshore mixed bag is transitioning deeper into spring. Live shrimp remains the best bait by a mile. Fish a 4000 to 5000 size spinning reel, 20 to 30 pound braid, a long fluorocarbon leader around 30 pound test, a 3/0 to 4/0 hook, and 1 to 2 ounces of lead. Focus on small ledges, broken hard bottom, shell patches, and lower-profile pieces in 40 to 70 feet of water. Patience matters. Let the spot settle and fish down the other more aggressive species before giving up on an area. Once you find them in a certain depth try to stay around that area and depth and keep hitting other pieces of bottom.
Lane snapper continue to be a dependable nearshore option, especially as you slide a little deeper past around 60ft or more. Squid, shrimp, and cut threadfin all produce, while bigger lanes often prefer live shrimp or small pieces of cut threadfin for bait. Mangrove snapper are mixed in too, especially as you get into the deepest near shore waters using live shrimp or cut threadfin. When they get picky, shorten the bait piece, lighten the leader, and really clean up the presentation.
Red grouper are possible nearshore, especially over the deeper hard-bottom pieces. You may have to sort through smaller fish, but bigger baits like whole squid, live pinfish, and heavier cut strips give you a much better chance of finding a legal keeper. This is a very good weekend to fish nearshore thoroughly and fish with intention, because the variety is there if you keep sticking and moving to try new bottom and areas.
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, the whole picture feels like it is building toward a very strong spring run. Kingfish are already part of the conversation and the bait is thick, which is exactly what you want to see if you are hoping for pelagics to really fire up. However, the kingfish action has been very concentrated in the near shore water and more sporadic offshore. However, offshore we have other species we can run into so make sure to be prepared. Every offshore trip this week should have at least one rod ready to troll, flat line, or pitch to life on the surface. Color changes, birds, bait showers, current lines, and floating debris all deserve your full attention. You have opportunity for kings, blackfin, wahoo, sails and even cobia.
On the bottom side, red grouper remain a major offshore target and continue to bite very well on hard bottom, ledges, potholes, and good hard bottom structure. Whole squid, octopus, and thick strips of bonita remain top baits, and quality live baits are always worth the effort if you want bigger fish. Scamp grouper are in the mix too, especially on the deeper structure past around 140-160ft of water. Medium pinfish, a stout but clean rig, and patient presentation remain the best way to target them.
Mangrove snapper continue to be a key offshore species. Cut threadfin on a double-snell rig is still one of the best all-around producers, especially when you want steady action. If you are hunting a true quality mangrove, keep some small live pinfish ready and be patient. Big yellowtail are still very much in the conversation too, and they tend to reward the anglers who scale down leader size, use smaller baits, and fish lighter leader and smaller hooks with small strips of cut squid or threadfin chunks. Mutton snapper remain a prized bonus and can turn a good trip into a great one when you present lively bait over the right deeper structure.
Triggerfish are back open and should add another delicious option to the mix. Keep hooks smaller, bait strips neat and chewy, and remember that triggerfish often reward anglers who pay attention to bait size more than almost any other species. We are also seeing lots of vermillion snapper, plus porgies and almaco jacks helping fill the coolers and keeping rods bent. Those heads-and-tails species are a very good sign that you are on active, productive bottom with life stacked around it.
The biggest story offshore is that spring is clearly trying to break loose in a big way. Thick bait, kingfish, pelagic potential, red grouper, big mangroves, yellowtail, muttons, and triggers all in the same weekly conversation is exactly the kind of overlap that makes this time of year so special out of Johns Pass.
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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