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]

Tampa Bay Redfish Report

November 21, 2014 By Capt Jim

Tampa Bay Fishing Report

Tampa Bay Redfish on Fly

The water temperature is dropping and the fishing grows better every day. The snook, redfish and trout are starting to roam around the flats.

What’s hot: The biggest impact of cooler temperatures will be on inshore fishing. Snook may start to migrate toward their winter haunts like the back side of Weedon Island and the creek mouths around the bay. Redfish are abundant at Weedon Island. We have been catching them on white bait, cut ladyfish or pinfish on the bottom. Mackerel are all around the bay and around artificial reefs like the one between the Gandy and Howard Frankland bridges.

Cobia are starting showing up on the flats around the power plants on the back of Rays and Manatees. I would also check buoys and markers and the flats around the power plants also keep an eye out for sharks on those same flats. I like anchoring up and putting out a chum block out and waiting for the Cobia and the sharks come to me and stead of chasing them unless they are up on top. When working the same flats at the power plants, I have also been catching lots of Jack Crevalle and ladyfish.

Structured approach: The annual kingfish migration is starting up in the mouth of the bay. You will find them around the old bridge rubble near the Skyway. Mangrove snapper are still plentiful around any structure in the bay. Just drop a small chunk of cut bait or whole shrimp to the bottom.

Tip: As the water temp starts to drop, the fish start moving up the area rivers and creeks in search of warmer water.

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

Tampa Fishing Charters report for April.

March 26, 2014 By Capt Jim

Tampa Bay fishing report for April

What’s hot: How about Weedon Island redfish, some Picnic Island snook and a few trout mixed in with some great weather for fishing.

Redfish: The fishing in the bay has been good, but Weedon Island, Fourth Street Flat and the Kitchen are on fire. This is especially true on the end of the outgoing tide and the beginning of the incoming tide around the potholes in the Christmas Pass area. There are a few ways to fish them. If you use live bait, then anchor up-current of the potholes and chum with live sardines. Or, cut them up and toss them into the hole and when the smell goes down-current they will follow it up-current to the hole you’re chumming. The other way is sight casting to them with fly or spinning gear from the front of a skiff of flats boat. The baits of choice: a weedless jerk bait or a gold spoon and a crab pattern for fly fishing.

fly fishing Tampa bay

Snook: The snook are leaving the creeks and the deep water and making their way to the passes and creek mouths over the next few weeks as their biological clock starts to send them into their spawning mode. The south end of Weedon Island around to the power plant along with the big island gap and the rocks at Picnic Island all hold good snook. The bait of choice is a live sardine or shrimp, but as the water warms, fishing the top water first thing in the morning is a great way to fish for snook. As the sun rises, try switching over to a jerk bait or a twitch bait.

Trout: The water is starting to warm for some good trout fishing over the grass flats at the end of Weedon Island and the Culbreath Isle flats in the 2-to 4-feet of water over grass. As for bait, use a sardine under a cork or a weedless jerk bait and a bait fish pattern for you fly guys and gals.

Tip: If you are making that run down to the bridge to catch sardines and run back to your spot to snook or redfish you are almost guaranteed a great day of catching fish.

Tarpon season starts April 1st and runs till around September and I have a some great dates open but it is filling up very fast, if you

Shannon from Tires Plus with a Snook

are thinking about Tarpon fishing this year shoot me an email.

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

Tampa CharterFishing for Redfish on fly

February 9, 2014 By Capt Jim

A sight casting video we did a little while ago as we are pre fishing for the Salty Fly. The biggest fly tournament in Florida if not the USA. This day Capt Harrison and i were fishing a flat in north Tampa Bay throwing 8wt’s. This is just 2 of the 6 Redfish we caught that day.

I was also pre fishing for some up coming Tampa bay fly fishing charters that week for some night Tarpon charters along with some dock light fishing for Snook, redfish and Trout.