Fishing By Capt. Dylan Hubbard
HubbardsMarina.com • 727.393.1947
Snook are everywhere from the passes to the beaches. They are super active from midnight to dawn when the tide is pushing bait out of the passes.
Redfish are biting well also, especially on higher tides in the back bays around the mangroves, oyster bars and flats. We are finding big schools around the passes and structures on the incoming tides. Cut threadfins on the bottom are a premium bait for redfish on the flats, oyster bars or mangrove shorelines but they will take a small to medium pinfish or white bait too. Soft plastic lures are also a great option.
Trout are very active around the deeper holes adjacent to the flats, passes, or dock lines. Use shrimp or live green backs with soft plastic shrimp.
Mangrove snapper have really become active too around the docks, jetties, bridges and rock piles. These fish are swarming around docks and bridges in deeper waters. Target them at the start or end of the incoming or outgoing tide with a small piece of cut shrimp or greenbacks.
Flounder are biting on the edges of the sand holes on the flats.
Mackerel are biting well from the Gandy Bridge to the Egmont Key channel. Try flashy fast-moving gotcha plugs or casting spoons retrieved quickly.
Pompano are around the jetties, passes and bridges near the mouth of Tampa Bay. Pompano jigs like doc’s goofy jigs, nekid ball jigs, or the small bucktails in yellow seem to be the best option for the pompano. We have seen some fairly large Cobia caught inshore this past week near Fort De Soto bridge!
Tarpon are thick from Boca Grande to Clearwater Pass right now. The passes see these fish rolling out in early mornings on that first outgoing tide. These guys are ready to eat large threadfins, small ladyfish, pass crabs, blue crabs and other 4-12 inch baits. Tripletail are still very active around the swim buoys, markers and floating debris around the bay and along our beautiful beaches. They love live shrimp on light tackle, and they can be super spooky, so stealthy approaches are best.
NEAR SHORE – Red Grouper action is best in 80-100ft of water. They love those long strips of squid, octopus, and live pinfish for bait. With 60lb test and a 6-7ot hook. Snapper are biting well from around 70-100ft of water. Cut threadfin plugs on double snell rigs with a 30-40lb leader and 4-5ot hooks work well, paired with a high gear ratio reel. Plenty of Mackerel and some Cobia are ready to eat from the beach to around 80ft of water. Kingfish are active from around 30ft up to the deepest near shore waters of around 100ft of water. We are even seeing the occasional Sailfish from around 30ft up.
OFFSHORE – This past weekend we had a great 39 hour trip and were pleased to announce that the Flying HUB 2 is official and ready to rock and roll this weekend! The offshore fishing has been great around 110-180ft of water right now.
Red Snapper bite well in their 62-day season from June 1st until end of day August 1st. Meanwhile, Gag Grouper, don’t bite so well in the summertime. The best time to get them is from November until end of December depending on the weather. Once the cold fronts get hardened down and the water starts to cool off that’s when the gag grouper fishing really heats up. Kingfish are the most common pelagic fish out there but we’re still seeing some blackfin tuna once you get past 100ft. Thanks for reading our report – Capt. Dylan Hubbard, Hubbard’s Marina – call or text me anytime at (727) 393-1947 | www.HubbardsMarina.com