Tampa Bay Fishing Report

[captchuckmac]

Trying to schedule trips between cold fronts has been a chore lately, but we did manage to get out twice in the past week.

Fishing the grassflats in Tierra Verde using greenbacks, we caught and released more than a dozen Bluefish. These scrappy fighters are fun on light tackle; but not so good on a plate.
Mixed in with the Blues have been a few Spanish Mackerel.

The Grouper bite is still hot in Tampa Bay. Using small pinfish as bait, we caught a couple dozen on each trip, but had to weed through the shorts to get a few for the dinner table.

We also trolled the beach yesterday before the winds picked up. We hooked 2 Kingfish, but lost both of them at the boat. Both hit slow trolled Threadfins.

Have a great weekend!
Regards,
Capt. Chuck MacIntyre
www.vortexcharters.com

[flyaddict]

I'm heading out to TB around Christmas time what is the fly-fishing like there
around that time of year?

[albacized]

I'm heading out to TB around Christmas time what is the fly-fishing like there
around that time of year?

I just read that by Tuesday, it's only going to be in the low 60's down there. While I don't have vast experience in the area, I will tell you that if you get a sustained cool spell down there, you'll have to look into the deeper canals/channels as well as power plant outflows to find a decent number of fish.

[flyfishsalt]

When the weather turns at this time of year there are hundreds of places to fish with the fly rod for Snook, Reds, Trout, Jacks, and Ladyfish. It is not like I catch fish on the fly rod successfully all winter, but in late fall and early winter when the water cools the fish are on the move and will eat really well. In addition the best time of year to catch Cobia on the fly in the Tampa Bay to Venice area is NOW through new years !!! These fish pull like frieght trains and will take a fly. I have found schools of 100 Cobia to 30 lbs. rafting up in rough water just off the beaches when cold fronts are coming through and this is a fly fishermans dream.