Well, it has been an interesting few weeks for us here on the west coast of Florida. But after Hurricane Milton, we are finally finding some normality. We are now back to our normal hours, we are receiving  live bait and have plenty of new fall items arriving daily!! With that being said we do have a few fishing reports to mention as well. Some of the local Captains have been getting some very nice mangrove snapper on the nearshore reefs this week. Not too many reports further out than that at the moment but kingfish season will soon be upon us. Inshore action seems to be starting up right where it left off with a good amount of bait being mentioned in the north and south bay. There were some GIANT snook caught mid week in the south creek area on cut mullet. Lots of smaller snook and trout caught in the bay this week as well. I’ve had a few mentions of redfish and with the amount of bait around thats no surprise! The redfish action should really be heating up in these next few weeks so keep your eyes open for birds diving on bait and big ‘mullet-like’ pushes.

Stop in and see us with any questions! As always, TIGHT LINES!!

Both inshore and offshore reports have been flowing in this past week. We had gag grouper open in the Gulf of Mexico. American red snapper have been steadily reported as well. Depths for gags will range as there are shallow spots in Tampa bay where trolling can be super productive aside from fishing offshore. Wahoo have been reported from the 200′ of water range. Some blackfin tuna are scattered in that depth also. Yellowtail and mangrove snappers have been extremely plentiful nonstop for the past month. There have been multiple reports of hogfish on the nearshore ledges this week, caught on live shrimp or shrimp rigged on a hogball. There have been a few mentions of bonita and kingfish but they are very scattered. Nearshore reefs have been loaded this week with big snook and redfish. These fish are seeking that cooler, deeper water. Pinfish are a perfect bait for almost all species at the moment. Whitebait has been reported off the beach but is very small. Inshore redfish are starting to show as well along with some decent trout. There have been loads of juvenile tarpon around the south bay/ vamo area. Focus on early morning bites or late afternoon, and watch your tides!!

Many think that when the season slows down, the fishing does as well… but I beg to differ!! Offshore reports have been flowing in the past week with mentions of American red snapper from 100′-210′ of water. Big gag grouper around the same depths but are out of season. Yellowtail snapper have been very plentiful around the 20 mi mark with some quality mangrove snappers mixed in. Blackfin tuna are being reported consistently from about 15 mi and out. We have had a couple kingfish reported and a summertime tripletail! Tripletail can be very sparce this time of year but NOT impossible! Keep your eyes on any floating debri as they may be holding fish. There are still plenty of tarpon off the beach and mainly concentrated around the passes with some fun juvenile action around the bridges in the evenings. Pinfish have been the bait of choice this week. Snook are being caught with live baits and NLBN 3″ paddletails off of the beaches and around Big pass area. Bait has been very thick off of the beach which really helps to bring them in. Inshore redfish have been very consistent the past few weeks on the flats in the south bay, near Vamo area. There have been a few nice snook mentioned in that zone as well.

Tight Lines!!!!

The Gulf of Mexico really came to life this week! Offshore reports are stacked with wahoo, big red snapper at about 200′, scamp and yellowtails as well. Two massive cubera snapper were caught during the Snapper Slapper tournament last week. Monsters! Jumbo mangrove snapper have been reported non stop from 8lbs to 10. African pompano, sailfish and mahi mahi were being reported from 50mi. Some cobia on the nearshore wrecks but reports have been spotty. Tarpon have picked back up after some spawning action on the last moon but have been steady all week. Pinfish are the bait of choice at the moment but you may want to still dip crabs when you can. Inshore snook and redfish action have been HOT!! There have been some snook on the beach and the reds have been decent sized on the flats. Night fishing has been fantastic with juvenile tarpon, mangs and snook on the lights.

Wishing a safe and Happy Fourth of July to all!! Tight Lines!

Well, we are half way through tarpon season and so far its has been one of the best we’ve seen in years!! Great numbers these last few weeks with some absolute GIANT fish being reported. Beach action has been great primarily in the mornings with passes being hot in the afternoons on the outgoing tides. Fly anglers have been doing extremely well also fishing black and purple patterns as soon as the sun is up. Crabs are still working well but we have been hearing that a lot of fish are being caught on pinfish and threads also. Red snapper season started on June 1st and is off to a phenomenal start despite some high winds earlier this week. The larger snapper are being reported in about 130-160′ of water. Several wahoo were reported a few weeks ago from a bit further out. Red grouper are still consistent in about 100-140′. Big mangrove snappers, yellowtail and scamp mentioned as well. Cobia have been spotty but still around, nearshore wrecks have been holding cobia as well as permit. Beach snook have been super plentiful these past couple weeks specifically around south Lido park area. South Siesta key all the way to turtle beach have had mentions of snook this week. Huge sheepshead caught at Venice jetty this week on a 5″ paddletail by one of our customers!! Redfish action in the bay has been great, bait is moving around frequently but has been consistent around bird key park and south Lido. Night fishing is on fire!! A great way to beat the heat and the lights have been loaded with snook and juvenile tarpon! We do not book guides directly through the shop but are more than happy to recommend one for whatever type of fishing you’re interested in. As always, stop in and see us with any questions!

Tight Lines