Abundence of Species Chewing Hard
Capt. Sean Goddard
April 8, 2015
Tampa Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report
Tampa Bay is full of whitebait right now and following closely behind are the predatory fish. Snook and redfish have flooded the flats and their spring /summer hangouts and are actively feeding. Spanish Mackerel can be found anywhere from deeper grass flats up to the shipping lane. The kings are cruising the shipping lanes near the Skyway bridge. There is an abundance of fish to target right now and fishing should remain outstanding for the next two months. Tarpon season is just around the corner, they should be making a show in full force any day now. A few fish have been sighted indicating that some have arrived, it should be very soon when there are plenty around to target.
April is here and so is the warmer weather and higher water temps, the fish are all over and actively feeding on most baits. We are having success with whitebait as well as shrimp and artificial baits. Flounder fishing is hot right now with large fish being caught in the passes, near docks and the mouths of rivers. We boated a 22 incher this week along the mangroves where we have been fishing for snook. Live scaled sardines are the bait of choice, add a split shot about 18 inches up your leader and work the shadow lines with sandy bottom.
Mangrove snapper are back in full force, were they ever really gone though ? We are catching mostly keeper sized fish in the 11 to 12 inch range on whitebait and large shrimp free lined near the mangroves.
Redfish are plentiful and are everywhere in the bay. Whitebait. cut bait and shrimp are all productive and larger slot fish seem to be the norm right now. For those of you that prefer to use artificial baits a chartreuse jig head with a root beer or watermelon shad body or paddle tail has been producing some impressive fish.
The snook bite is still on fire. There are many larger fish being caught consistently right now, we are finding them both in open water on the flats as well as along the mangroves. I have been catching good sized slot fish mixed in with juveniles along the mangroves in the bay on every trip on both white bait and jumbo shrimp.
Trout fishing hot right now in 3-5 feet of water look for bigger trout to be mixed in with the smaller ones.. Smaller fish up to keeper size can still be found on deeper grass flats with fish averaging 18 inches. Live jumbo shrimp either free lined or under a popping cork is producing impressive numbers of fish.
Tarpon have yet to arrive but should be here very soon. I am rigged and ready for a very active tarpon season this year. If you have never had the chance to fight a big tarpon you are missing out on the fish to target in our waters. Head to our website http://inshore2offshore.com/ and book a tarpon trip now.
You can now view videos of fish being caught, reports and promos on our YouTube channel. Subscribe now www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQtqCV2oEf39rpiywNbC_g As always tight lines and see you out there on the water.
More Fishing Reports:
