Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

With the new Moon, the warmer water and the tides rushing in, we will have an extreme amount of fishing action throughout the bay area this weekend.

Tarpon will be hot and heavy in the lower bay areas around the skyway and the Trout should pick up nicely off most flats. The Kings are still in about 30-40 ft of water with some barracudas showing up to pick at your baits. Mangrove snapper should be very active with the new moon off most rocky or structured bottoms. Look for Redfish where you find the mullet and the Snook should be in most passes with a strong current. Tarpon are rolling at the Gandy and Skyway on a regular basis and a nose hooked lady fish should work well.

Remember be safe on the water and theres a whole ocean out there - there is no need to fish on top of each other. For more Tampa fishing reports and photographs, visit TampaBayFish.com

Bent rods and tight lines!

If you can get through the smoke, you can find the fish.

Early morning and afternoon fishing are going to be your best bets this weekend. Tarpon are still a great target for some real excitement. In the coming days we should see an increase in the Tarpon activity under the Gandy Bridges. Kings and some Cobia are still on structure offshore in about 25-30ft of water. The bite on the shore near Dunedin will be good late afternoon under both causeway bridges. Also Mangrove Snapper near the skyway and in the ships channel have picked up.

Flounder and Trout seem to be the best bet. Snook have been very active in the strong outgoing currents on almost all beach passes but remember they are out of season so release them if caught. Trout will likely be the primary table fish this weekend, with most taking live shrimp and DOA or Gulp baits.

For daily fishing information and photographs, visit TampaBayFish.com.

Tarpon

If it’s May in Tampa, we’re catching Tarpon. Tarpon are showing at Gandy Bridge with a few catches reported between 60-80lbs. Morning and afternoon are best time to chase these great fighting fish. Tarpon Fishing will pick up all throughout the entire month of May, and with the temperature beginning to rise we will be seeing a lot more action from the silver kings.

This early month full moon saw a lot of activity at Egmont Pass. Redfish are hot and heavy near the DeSoto flats and the fishing there is always good. Just find the schools of Mullet, and the Reds hiding are under them. Spanish Macks are a favorite near all the bay bridges this time of year and will continue for a while longer. Snook are out of season but some early morning and late afternoon catches can be made in most passes and nearer to the beaches. But remember to catch and release gently.

For all your local fishing information, daily reports, and photographs, visit TampaBayFish.com.

Florida - The Fishing Capital of the World.

Yes, we sometimes brag quite a bit about our great state and the water that surrounds us. Most of the time its because half the beaches on the top ten list are on our coasts. The other half is because there is so much fishing to be had that you can’t drive down the street and not find a Snook sticker on the back of a truck window.

My name is Trevor and I run a small local fishing web site, TampaBayFish.com that was built for me and my buddies to use as a central place to find important information like weather, regulations, fishing reports and more. So far it has been mostly fun and fun to do.

So with that in mind - I am not a writer by any means but I am a fisherman and I know where the fish are most of the year and can find what they are biting on during a typical season. If your interested in fishing and where to go in the Tampa Bay area. Check back here on Thursday or Friday early and you’ll find my reports on where to put in on Saturday morning when the sun is just waking up.

“Whoever invented work never knew about fishing.”

Tight Lines and Bent Rods.