Inshore – Cold front season is here! As we thought, sheepshead fishing is heating up. Once a cold front hits and water gets muddy and water temps drops, the sheeps come out to play. Also, like sheepshead the black drum love this time of year. We’re seeing monster drum along the beaches of Treasure Island and Madeira beach. Drum, like their cousin the sheepshead, love crustaceans like crabs, sand fleas or shrimp.
Personally I love pieces of shrimp, oysters or barnacles for sheepshead. For drum, I prefer a dead nearly rotten crab or large dead shrimp weighted to the bottom. Besides these two species snook love this time of year too and they seem to get more aggressive as the water chills. However, as the water cools they will become more opportunistic feeders and will move slower so you must slow down your artificial lures or use live bait presented naturally. Personally, the dock light fishing at night is my favorite this time of year and the snook love to hang in the warm lights of docks near passes, channels or flats where they know bait will stack up to keep warm.
Typically the big boys are always just outside the ‘light line’ or closer to the bottom. I love to work my lure slowly along the bottom or edges of the light line and wait for the huge slam!
Near shore – Hogfish, hogfish, and hogfish is the title of this week’s near shore report. They are becoming more concentrated and easier to find near shore this time of year as they group up to prepare for their spawn. It’s a great time of year to dial in your hogfish techniques on a private charter or party boat trip. Keep in mind the less lines in the water and the more advanced fisherman you have on board the better you will be doing on these leader shy, smart, great tasting & non-aggressive fish. Also, as the water cools the near shore gag bite should only be improving we’re already seeing them push into the bays meaning they are showing up near shore!
We’re excited for a great push of hogfish and gags as the waters continue to cool with the barrage of cold fronts.
Offshore – Gag grouper bite is on FIRE offshore right now!
Last weekend’s 39 hour did better on gags then we have seen in a long long time with over 50 landed and nearly twice that many break offs of huge fish we couldn’t stop. This time of year the big tackle + big bait + natural presentation = big fish becomes more and more important. I love using my 9ot reel, 100lb test, and 125lb floro with a 10-12ot hook and the biggest bad to the bone live bait I can find and hold on tight to get ready for the fight of my life.
My personal favorite gag grouper bait is a huge squirrel fish or sand perch. Tuna also love this time of year and we’re starting to see them quite a bit. Remember, tuna love biting at night on the new and full moons and a flat lined sardine works well or tail hooked pigfish with 50lb floro leader and a 5ot circle. Kingfish are still around for now too so make sure to get them while they are still around. Once the waters cool down into the lower 70’s they will disappear for the most part until their spring run.
Tampa Bay Ferry & Taxi News
Tampa Bay Ferry and Taxi news Madeira beach Water taxi runs Friday-Sunday 10am-10pm.
Now that the weather has cooled down it’s a great time to enjoy a relaxing boat ride around the bay! Very pet friendly on the Madeira beach water taxi, pack your cooler with your favorite drinks too!
Always a relaxing ride, and the boat holds up to 49 passengers. Offering private party taxi service & you can’t beat the price. Eat, explore, shop, or cruise, all for one low price! The most affordable boat ride in town.
There’s tons of stuff to do experiencing a water taxi ride, check out http://www.tampabayferry.com/things-to-do/.
Fishing Report By Captain Mark & Dylan Hubbard
See their fishing report specials at https://hubbardsmarina.com/fishing-report-specials/.