Tampa Winter Fishing Report

With December here along the cold fronts moving in every week it seems like the Trout and Redfish fishing is heating up.

What’s Hot:

While fishing in the winter has its good days and it’s bad ones but winter is still one of the best times of year to fish in the Tampa Bay area. All you need is a bag of your favorite soft plastics and some jig heads or some live shrimp and you will be on the way to catching so good fish.
One of the most important reason I like fishing in the winter months, is you can take kids out fishing and catch a lot of fish.
The most popular fishing in the winter time in Tampa Bay is fishing the grass flats or creeks for Trout in the 3 to 6 feet of water. This is the time when we catch a lot of the bigger trout over 20 inches plus it’s not uncommon to get some big gator Trout. The most productive method of fishing the grass flats of Tampa Bay is fishing shrimp under a popping cork or throwing soft plastics on 1/8 oz to ¼ oz jig heads. This can be the most exciting way to fish, but it is also a very effective way to fish. Whether you want throw jigs or use live shrimp you’re going to catch fish.

Another way I like to fish is the residential canals and around the docks in our area. The water in the canals are up to 5 degrees warmer due to the mud bottom, large boats tied up to the docks all generating heat, which will attract all kinds of fish like Sheepshead, Redfish, Trout and Snook. I use a split shot on my leader just about 18 inches above the #1 circle hook.

Tip:

Look for water just a few degrees warmer and the fish will most likely be in that area. I bring a pool thermometer with me on the boat with 20 feet of line on it so I can find the warmest water to fish.

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