Hubbard’s Marina has crabs and the sheepshead are loving it! Fiddler crabs make killer sheepshead candy, plus they work super well offshore for hog fishing too!
Also, mackerel are making a comeback to the area. Bait is getting thicker and more common. The spring fishery is around the corner. If the weather continues to stay gorgeous, snook should start heading out of the bayous and rivers into the passes soon. Their spring push to the beaches that makes snook fishing in the passes more likesnook catching and you can hook a monster snook using the right bait or lure.
We’re starting to see the bait near shore from 30-50 foot of water and the mackerel are showing up to work the bait. Kings are just now starting to dribble in but the next full moon should bring a pile of macks and kings and the spring run should be starting early in March if this weather pattern holds true.
Don’t forget about the deep water grouper closure of the shallow water grouper complex. This means you can’t keep scamp grouper, red grouper, and others caught past 20 fathoms (120 foot). On their 12-hour extreme and 39-hour trips they are fishing past the ‘fence’ (see NOAA NMFS website) for the mangroves and other snapper and then ducking inside the fence to find some red grouper to keep.
The tuna bite is still going well out there, but they are definitely spread out right now. Jig head Ed caught the first huge kingfish in a long time, reeling in his flat line as the boat was pulling anchor on the 39 hour this in mid-February.
Want to win a FREE 10-hour all day or FREE 5-hour 1/2 day at Hubbard’s Marina?
Join Captain Dylan Hubbard for a great seminar at Bass Pro Shops Tampa Saturday March 24 at 2pm! Hubbard’s Marina Sea Adventures, Tampa Bay Ferry and Taxi, and the Madeira Beach Water Taxi are all now powered by Honda Marine! If you come visit us for a dolphin tour, sunset cruise, Egmont Key island trip, snorkeling, shelling, water taxi ride or any type of ferry or pleasure cruise trip then you will be riding a boat powered by Honda Marine! These new motors look great, are super quiet and are great on fuel economy!
Hubbards also offers all types of unique private charter fishing options, plus they are the only ones in the area that can accommodate groups of 7 or more on our private charter fishing trips out of Johns Pass Madeira Beach. They have four custom-built private charter fishing vessels at Hubbard’s Marina that can be privately chartered for you and your group’s fishing adventure. For further information visit www.hubbardsmarina.com or call (727) 393-1947.