Tampa Bay Flats Fishing with Light Tackle Adventures!

September 20, 2018 By Eric Bonneman

Tampa Bay’s Flats are, topographically, a gently sloping road to the ocean’s depths. The region’s shallow Continental Shelf is dotted with sandbars and deep silky pockets where fish school for protection. Often, low tide reveals miles of silt bottom sea floor. Moreover, Captain Jim Lemke, and the team at Light Tackle Adventures, like an oceanic cartographer, has mapped the subtle nuances of Tampa’s shallow coast, Captain Lemke knows where to reel-in the region’s best offerings. With the guidance of Captain Lemke, Expect to reel-in Seatrout, Redfish, Snook, and Tarpon. [Read more…]

Saltwater Fly Fishing Tampa

June 29, 2018 By Eric Bonneman

Tampa is the Emerald Coast’s most understated city. Ecologically, Tampa is renowned for the artificial reef, diversity of fauna and white sand beaches. Fly Fisherman will find a paradise while wading the bay’s shallow waters. It’s said that Spanish Mackerel jump from these waters, even for the novice angler. Tampa offers Fly Fishing and unparalleled nightlife, along pristine shores. [Read more…]

Fall Tampa Bay Fishing

December 5, 2016 By Capt Jim

Fall Tampa Bay Fishing

Fall Tampa Bay we are starting to see some cold fronts starting to rolling in to the Tampa Bay Fishing area it’s also dropping the water temps down to the mid to low 70’s and has the bite fired up inshore and offshore fishing right now, With the holidays around the corner and the weather looking good its time to get out and enjoy Tampa Bay Fishing.

What’s Hot:

The Tampa Bay area reefs and wrecks are holding a lot of Sheephead, Mango Snapper, and some keeper Grouper this time of the year and over the next few months. When you are bottom fishing these places I like fishing the slower tide so I can use the smallest weight possible to get down to the bottom and start adding as the tide picks up. I will also put out a flat line for some Mackerel.

Snook

The Snook fishing is on fire with these cooler temps at night. We have been finding them around and up the major rivers, creeks, and residential docks. A ton of smaller snook along with some over slot snook mix in. the best bait is still a scaled sardine or whitebait with a white 4-inch jerk bait coming in second.

Redfish

tampa bay redfish

The Redfishing is just starting to get better on the flats. I look for mullet schools in the 1 to 3 foot of water on the flats and use your trolling motor to get in position and setup. If you just chase them like is what’s happened over at Weedon Island no buddy will catch them. The best baits are live baits like Sardines or pinfish for artificials a Jerk Baits or paddle tail jigs.

Mackerel

Fall always means big schools of Mackerel in the bay and off the beaches along with some drag screaming fun. It’s some of the best fun fishing and just not for the kids but for the adults to. I use a 2x long shanked hook in a 3/0 a short piece of 60 or 80-pound fluorocarbon leader and hold on.

Capt Jim Lemke charters out of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater and can be reached at (813) 917-4989 and at [email protected]

Tampa Spring Snook Fishing is on

March 21, 2016 By Capt Jim

Tampa Spring Snook Fishing is on

Tampa spring Snook fishing has been off the hook off the mangrove shore lines around the Tampabay area. April is typically one of our very best months for flats fishing and so far it has lived up to my expectations. The Snook, Redfish and Trout fishing has been on fire.

Tampa Snook fishing has been the great over all with many small to giant over slot Snook. I have been pleasantly surprised with the amount of number of big trophy Snook we have been catching. The last few years have been ok but this year I have boated more trophy Snook then years past. We have been averaging around 12 Snook per day and we have been landing a few over slot size Snook per a trip. The Snook fishing is excellent right now.

Redfish have also been doing very well. On most days I’ve been getting plenty of redfish mixed in with the mullet schools. Most of the Reds mixed in with the Mullet have been in the 18 to 27-inch class and a hand full over 30 inches. On the lower tide days, I have been getting the larger 30 plus inch Reds.

Trout fishing has also been really great with a lot of big Gator Trout, I haven’t been catching in the same place as they have been mixed in with the Snook and Redfish. Most have been ranging from 16 to 25 inches with some just under 30 inches. The Trout fishing is very doing very well this year.

If you have a livewell go catch bait and go to the area, you want to look at and throw a hand full or two out and see if you get any fish start to pop the bait. This is the time of the year when the Snook and Tarpon start their migration to the beaches and passes.

Capt Jim Lemke charters out of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater and can be reached at (813) 917-4989 and at [email protected]