Inshore Fishing Report
Inshore has been a mixed bag in the best way possible — and the front should actually help many of our wintertime targets. Trout remain one of the most reliable bites right now. Look for them around bridge shadow lines, dock lights, and any place you’ve got moving water with bait getting pushed along an edge. As tides slow, trout will often stack tighter in “high-percentage” spots: potholes, the edges of flats, deeper troughs, and the first drop-off off a mangrove shoreline. Live shrimp is hard to beat, but slow-rolled soft plastics and shrimp imitations shine when the water is a little dirtier after a blow. Work them patiently and keep your lure in the strike zone — most bites this time of year are more ‘thump’ than ‘crush.’
Redfish have been steady and should stay a strong option even as tides soften. The key is finding life: mullet flips, nervous bait, and birds working shallow water edges. On slower flow days, redfish will often slide to areas with just enough current to deliver food — think oyster bars, the corners of grass flats, and the mouths of small cuts. If you’re seeing fish but they’re spooky, back off and use lighter leader with a smaller shrimp or a subtle soft plastic. If they’re aggressive, don’t be afraid to throw a chunk of cut bait on bottom and let the scent do the work.
Sheepshead are still a go-to, especially around structure after a front. They love cooler, stirred-up conditions and will chew around bridges, docks, jetties, and rock piles — anywhere there’s barnacle and oyster growth. Small pieces of shrimp, clams, or a fiddler crab on a small, sharp hook with minimal weight is the move. Keep your rod tip low, feel for that light ‘tap-tap,’ and set the hook with a quick, short snap.
Flounder have been cooperative around sandy edges and ambush zones. Target the sand/grass transitions, sandy potholes, and the sandy bottom adjacent to bridge pilings and dock lines. Bounce a soft plastic slowly along bottom or drift a shrimp through the area. If you catch one, work the spot hard — flounder often sit in little ‘pockets’ where the current funnels food to them.
Snook are still around, but a strong front can push them back into the warmest, most protected water they can find. Look deep in the back bays, around dark mud bottom, and near creek mouths where the sun can warm the water a degree or two in the afternoon. If you’re targeting snook, pick your best solunar window, fish the warmest part of the day, and slow your presentation way down. We’re also on tarpon watch — they’re right around the corner — and any warming stretch after this front can have them showing along the beaches and near the passes.
Inshore quick tips:
- Trout: 10–15 lb braid, 15–25 lb fluorocarbon leader, 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads, shrimp imitations or live shrimp on a light knocker rig.
- Redfish: look for mullet + birds; use cut bait on bottom or paddletails/jerkbaits on the edges of oyster bars and flats.
- Sheepshead: small hook (1–1/0), tiny shrimp pieces, just enough weight to hold bottom, and keep tight to structure.
- Flounder: slow is the secret — keep your bait on the bottom and work sand transitions thoroughly.
- Snook: warmest water wins after a front; fish afternoons, protected shorelines, creek mouths, and deeper holes.
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 setting up nicely for a classic winter lineup, and once the seas lay down after Sunday night’s front, the bite should rebound nicely once water clears up. Hogfish remain the star of the show when water temps cool. They’re not the fastest biters in the neighborhood, so the name of the game is a clean presentation and patience. Fish live shrimp on lighter tackle with a long top shot on top of your braid (10–15 feet of fluorocarbon is ideal) and a small-to-medium hook. We like 30 lb fluoro, a 3/0–4/0 hook, and just enough weight (often 1–2 oz) to keep you on bottom. When the bite is tough, downsize the weight and let the shrimp move more naturally.
Lane snapper are still a dependable bite, especially as you slide deeper and find better bottom and more consistent current. Expect them to key in on squid chunks, shrimp, and small pieces of cut threadfin. If you want the bigger lanes, live shrimp and cut threadfin are tough to beat — and be ready, because when lanes fire up it can be fast and furious.
Mangrove snapper are more hit-and-miss near shore compared to deeper water, but the deeper you go (and the more structure you find), the more consistent they become. Keep a few leader sizes ready: when they’re chewing, 30–40 lb is fine; when they get finicky after a front, dropping down and using smaller baits can turn the tide in your favor.
Red grouper are possible near shore, but typically the numbers and average size improve the farther you push out. If you’re hunting a keeper near shore, focus your best hard bottom and ledge pieces and fish bigger offerings: live pinfish, whole squid, or stout strips of cut bait. You’ll often have to sort through smaller fish, but bigger baits help you avoid the ‘peanuts’ and find the right bite.
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 opportunities should improve as soon as we can safely capitalize on the weather window after this front. Red grouper continue to be a top target, and they’ve been responding best to bigger, meatier offerings: whole squid, octopus, bonita strips, and lively baits when you can keep them frisky. Work the hard bottom, potholes, and ledge edges, and don’t be afraid to stick and move until you find the right life on the spot.
Scamp grouper have been a great bonus fish on the deeper pieces. Medium pinfish and cut threadfin on a 6/0–7/0 hook with 50–60 lb leader has been a reliable setup. If you’re consistently catching smaller fish, adjust your hook size and bait size upward — and shift slightly off the thickest part of the school to find a better class of fish.
Mangrove snapper offshore stay consistent, especially once you’re in that deeper, cleaner water. A double-snell rig with cut threadfin is a proven producer when you want numbers. If you’re hunting a true ‘stud’ mangrove, keep a few small live pinfish ready and be patient — those bigger fish often show up once the quick biters thin out.
Yellowtail snapper and mutton snapper continue to show deeper and in the right conditions around dawn, dusk, and at night. Yellowtail love lighter leader and smaller baits — think 40 lb leader, 5/0–6/0 hooks, and thin strips of squid or small threadfin chunks. Mutton snapper are a different animal: they like a more substantial meal, and they often reward anglers who put in the time with live bait and clean presentation.
Triggerfish are right around the corner from reopening, and when they pop back open they’ll add a delicious option to the offshore mix. Keep your bait strips small and chewy — a little squid or bonita strip is perfect — and remember their mouths are small, so bait size matters as much as hook size.
Pelagic action remains in play. If you’ve got mahi, tuna, wahoo, or kingfish on your mind, have a pitch rod ready and keep an eye out for scattered bait, color changes, and surface activity. A calm day after a front can light this up in a hurry — and those are the days we live for out of Johns Pass.
Offshore pro tips:
- Bigger fish = bigger bait: upsize squid, strips, and live baits for red grouper and quality snapper.
- Match hook size to bait: avoid short strikes and weed out smaller fish by scaling appropriately.
- Have two setups ready: a ‘meat’ rod (heavier leader/bigger bait) and a ‘finesse’ rod (lighter leader/smaller bait) for picky periods.
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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