Tampa Tarpon & Back Country Flats Fishing Charters
a florida native with a lifetime of knowledge on the water
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Welcome To Bay To Bay Outfitters with Captain Ansley Watson. Your Next Tampa Bay Fishing Adventure Starts Here
Welcome to Bay To Bay Outfitters with Captain Ansley Watson. The Tampa Bay estuary is one of the most productive fisheries in Florida and North America, for that matter. Whether your passion is stalking the “Sliver King” (Tarpon) on a sandy shoal at Egmont Key or on one of our beautiful beaches, or chasing redfish, snook, trout, cobia, & triple tail up in the gin clear flats of the back country, we’ve got you covered. Capt. Ansley & Bay To Bay Outfitters offer a wide range of charter options catering to both the novice and most accomplished anglers. There are many exciting fishing opportunities in the Tampa Bay area and Bay To Bay Outfitters can help you explore them. Half & full day charters are available and custom charters can be arranged. Families and kids are always welcome!
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meet your captain
Capt. Ansley Watson is a USCG licensed Charter Captain and a Florida native. Having grown up fishing the waters of Tampa Bay, he has the knowledge and expertise not found in other charter captains. As a kid growing up chasing tarpon with friends, he realized he had a "tarpon addiction." His fishing knowledge is steeped in family tradition. He loves sharing his expertise, passion, and knowledge with each charter guest aboard his boat.
While tarpon fishing is his passion, he also loves the diversity the bay has to offer. Captain Ansley can put clients on snook, redfish, cobia, triple tail, mackerel, snapper, and sharks. A little known fact is that Tampa Bay is home to over a dozen species of sharks, including blacktips, bulls, bonnet heads, greater hammerheads, and lemons. All are excellent fighters!
You could chase tarpon in the morning and redfish in the afternoon on any given day on the waters of Tampa Bay with Capt. Ansley.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Passion
What should I bring?
Anything you would like to eat, specialty drinks like Gatorade, sodas, etc. Sunscreen and SPF protective clothing, as the Florida sun can be a bit hot in the summer in Florida, lol.
What is included in my charter price?
A clean and safe vessel, fishing licenses, bait, tackle, rods/reels, ice for your drinks & catch, fuel, cleaned, iced, and bagged fish for the fish fry! A stellar attitude!
How far will we go out?
One of the many great things about fishing in Tampa Bay and the surrounding waters is, we don’t have to make long runs and spend a lot of time traveling to our fishing spots. The majority of our charters are inside Tampa Bay and nearshore. It's usually no more that 15 mins getting to the fishing grounds. You will be close to shore pretty much at all times and most of the time, right next to it!
Professionalism
Can I bring my young children?
Yes, however, we do not allow infants or toddlers on our charters. 6 Years of age and up is the appropriate age to bring on your charter.
Do we get to choose what kind of fish we target?
Yes, however, fishing in Tampa Bay is seasonal. We try to accommodate our charter guests as best we can to catch their targeted species, but keep in mind, that might not always be possible. For instance, it’s probably not a good idea to target Tarpon in January. We always put forth the maximum effort to keep rods bent and smiles on the boat.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes Capt. Ansley is a USCG (United States Coast Guard) licensed & insured Captain.
Service
Are we guaranteed to catch fish on our charter?
While Bay To Bay Outfitters is VERY good at catching fish and it is extremely rare that we don’t catch fish, we don’t have control over mother nature and some days the bite is tougher than others. Be assured, we will do our very best to make sure we keep rods bent.
Will we have live bait?
Yes, when we pick you up for your charter, we will be fully loaded with live bait. We use scaled sardines (greenbacks), pinfish, shrimp, crabs, cut ladyfish and much more.
Is the price of the charter for each person or for the whole group?
When you book a charter with Bay To Bay Outfitters, the price quoted is for all anglers and passengers aboard our boat.