Tampa Bay Inshore Fishing

Table of Contents

The flats and back-country waters in and around Tampa Bay provide some of the best light tackle fishing grounds in the world for Snook, Redfish, Trout, Tarpon and Cobia. These areas of shallow flats and miles of unspoiled mangrove estuaries provide optimal breeding grounds for most of the gamefish that live in the Tampa Bay inshore waters. The inshore fishing is year round in Tampa Bay and it is not uncommon to catch an “inshore slam” which includes a Redfish, Snook and a Trout all in one day. Snook fishing is best during mid spring to early summer and can be found around the beautiful beaches or along the miles of unspoiled mangrove shorelines and estuaries. Redfish in Tampa Bay peaks in mid to late spring and again in late fall. These species can be found tailing on the shallow inshore flats and provide some excellent rod bending action. Trout can be caught year around but are very active in the cooler months of winter as well as early fall and late spring. One of the most prized gamefish in the Tampa Bay area is the Tarpon, aka “Silver King.” Tarpon fishing really heats up in May and runs through early Fall. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Egmont Key and Anna Maria Island will be loaded with these Giants. Tarpon provide some of the best acrobatic shows and long runs that will give you the fight of your life! There is also fantastic reef and wreck fishing in and around Tampa Bay where you will find Grouper, Kingfish, Mangrove Snapper, Sharks and many other species that will make for a great day of fishing. To top off the amazing inshore fishery we have here in Tampa, the wildlife that you will see on a daily basis is incredible including birds, manatees and dolphins. It’s all waiting for you here in Tampa Bay!

 

 

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About the Author...
Matt Douglas

Matt Douglas

Captain Matt Douglas is the founder of YACHTFISH and is a licensed United States Coast Guard 100 ton Master Captain. Captain Matt grew up on the waters of Tampa Bay and lived and worked in Costa Rica for over 11 years. He has extensive experience in Central America, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Florida. Captain Matt is a tournament-winning captain who has an intense passion for boating, fishing and creating life time memories for his Clients. These passions, combined with his experience, were the catalysts for YACHTFISH. Captain Matt is laser-focused on what he enjoys the most, and knows the best, in Tampa Bay and Costa Rica.
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EPIC trip! We booked the 6-hour shark option out of St. Petersburg. Capt. Nick Diaz was excellent! We ended up with a giant Hammerhead Shark just shy of 10ft. That's exactly what we were hoping for!! Dragged her around from the boat for a while and then got her up... read more
Courtney McCord Avatar
Great day out on the water. Captain Patrick and Sam were dialed into the "secret spots" to fish as they grew up fishing these waters. We all had fun! Caught Trout, Snook, & Grouper
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We had a great time. Captain Jessie was great. He really knew where the fish were
Nathan Danielson Avatar
My grandson is 13 and loves to fish. He took this Charter and had the time of his life. He caught a couple shark Stingray and some good eating fish. It was a lifetime experience for him and he would do it all over again. Pat and Sam took great... read more
Barb Szpara Avatar
Absolutely Amazing time I’ve been on lots of charters from Alaska to Florida . Captain Patrick and captain Sam worked so hard to get us on fish will Absolutely book again . You can tell they love to fish like fishing with buddy’s
Joe Christiansen Avatar
Captain Nick was awesome!! He went out of his way to make sure my wife and I had a good time
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Took my son on charter while down for spring break. Awesome trip with captain Ethan. What a world class experience. Non stop action and would definitely recommend.
Sean Leininger Avatar
We had a great inshore trip with Ethan on 3/14/23. We didn’t spend the entire trip driving around and caught fish wherever we were. Personally, I think these trips are best when you have a captain that’s vocal and interactive. One that wants to have... read more
Wayne Webb Avatar
Patrick and Sam were awesome. Got us in the fish in no time. They were more than accommodating, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. There were 5 of us on the boat besides them and everyone spent ample time reeling in the fish. Easily caught our limit. Thank again Patrick and Sam.... read more
Steve Lambert Avatar
Had a great day on the water. The boat was first class and offered a smooth ride. Our guide Martin was very knowledgeable and worked hard to get us on some fish.
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