Summertime Fishing Tampa Bay
Capt. Troy Mainzer
May 19, 2013
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Hey guys, the fishing in Tampa Bay is great right now. I fished on Saturday with a couple of guys that wanted to catch some redfish for dinner, and that is exactly what we did. Saturday and Sunday can be very tough days for fishing because of how many people are out on the water. Plus you have all the jet skiers that for some reason are not able to read the huge signs that say "No Wake Zone" and "No Motor Zone". With these challenges set in front of us, we were still able to catch some real nice fish. The guys caught redfish and trout, some of which they were able to take home for dinner and eat fresh that night.
Bait has been everywhere lately which makes for some great fishing opportunities. I always try to "blackout" my livewell which means i fill it with so many greenbacks and threadfin herring that all you can see is black and you can't see the white bottom of the livewell. With this much bait, I'm able to throw chum into the water which can get the fish into a feeding frenzy. A lot of times you'll be able to see and hear the snook blast the baitfish on the surface.
Tarpon fishing this week should really heat up because the full moon is next weekend. The full moon causes much stronger tides which flush more crabs out of the bay through the passes. This causes the tarpon to feed more. I expect a very good tarpon bite this week and into next week with probably some very large fish being caught. The average tarpon is around 90 to 100 pounds but fish upwards of 150 and pushing 200 pounds are out there.
That's my report for the weekend. If you have any questions about what's going on in Tampa Bay or St. Petersburg or want to book a fishing charter with me, you can always contact me via email at [email protected] or via phone at 813-293-4750. Make sure to check out my website www.totallyriggedfishing.com
The photo gallery is not there right now but will be back up soon. All the pictures are on the facebook page.
Tight Lines
Captain Troy Mainzer
Target Species:
Tarpon, Redfish, Snook, Trout
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