Tampa Bay

The first cool weather has finally set into the Tampa bay area and the fish are responding vigorously! Thanks to an incredibly strong “El Nino” up until a few days ago the water on the flats was in the low 80’s which is nearly unheard of during the wintertime. That left fish confused but now it is finally back to normal and gator trout are swarming the flats in droves. In the next couple of months some of the biggest trout of the year (28″-30″+) can be expected. Redfish are responding to the cooler weather as well and are starting to creep back onto the flats after being driven off by record heat. Large schools are beginning to form all over the bay. Snook can be found clustered together in warmer areas and large “doormat” flounder are finally making their push inshore too. Nearshore, flounder, hogfish, various snappers, amberjack, goliath grouper, gag/red grouper, barracuda and a list of other species can all be found hanging on ledges, wrecks and reefs. On calmer days these can all easily be accessed and can be a nice change of pace. Book you trip now to get in on the action (727) 421 1051 Until next time tight lines!

-Captain Tyler Kapela