Saltwater Gamefish Species Bay To Bay Outfitters Targets In Tampa Bay
At Bay To Bay Outfitters, we are Poon Crazy! It is our specialty.
Tarpon (April-November)
Tampa Bay is one of the most popular tarpon or “the silver king” fishing destinations on the planet. Each spring & summer large schools of migrating tarpon make their way up into Tampa Bay feeding on crabs, threadfin hearing, sardines, & shrimp. April, May & June give us some of the best chances to catch tarpon. Although the best months to fish for tarpon are April through July, we still have very productive months all the way up until the first cold fronts of the year in November with fish ranging from 40lbs up to 180lbs.
Tarpon are drag screaming real spooling beasts that don’t give up! It’s truly a war of attrition, man against beast. Capt. Ansley & Bay To Bay Outfitters targets these impressive gamefish on the edge of grass flats, bridges, beaches & passes from the mouth of the bay to well up into north Tampa Bay. The thrill of watching a Tarpon eat a live bait right in front of your eyes is truly a sight to behold and a memory that will be burned in your mind for the rest of your life.
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Snook (Year Round Fishery)
Snook also called “A Linesider” are considered one of the most exciting gamefish in Florida. Snook are tough voracious eaters that attack live and artificial baits with reckless abandon. They live in and around mangrove shorelines, estuaries, and grass flats throughout Tampa Bay. They can also be found around structure such as rock piles, jetties, and bridges. They prefer water temperatures above 60 degrees but can be caught year round in our waters. They grow to be very large in size, some female fish ranging in the 20-30lb class. At Bay To Bay Outfitters, we use a variety of different techniques to catch and land these formidable predators.
Redfish (Year Round Fishery)
One of the most sought after gamefish in Florida, the redfish or “Bronze Bomber” is commonly caught on expansive grass flats, mangrove lined shores, & residential docks, year round in Tampa Bay. Male bull reds can reach weights of up to 40lbs. At Bay To Bay Outfitters, we use live shrimp, scaled sardines (pilchards) jigs, soft plastics, and many other live and artificial bait presentations to catch these beautiful fish.
Speckled Sea Trout (Year Round Fishery)
Tampa Bay offers some of the finest speckled trout fishing Florida’s has to offer. Speckled trout rarely leave the area they spawn from. They are easy to spot. They can grow up to 8-9 inches when mature, or as high as 39 inches. They can also live up to 10 years.
All you need to know about Speckled Trout in Tampa Bay
Trout Fishing In Tampa Bay is a year-round fishery. At Bay To Bay Outfitters, we use varied techniques to fish for them. We free-line shrimp or pinfish (grunts) or attach a float above a live shrimp. These baits will drift across the grass beds looking as natural as possible. It is possible to catch them with spoons, top-water poppers, and soft-bodied jigs. Trout are delicate and should be returned to the water immediately after a quick picture.
Cobia (Year Round Fishery)
The cobia or “Man in the brown suite” is in the ling family of fishes. These awesome predators cruise the flats, jetties, bridge pilings, channel markers and mangrove shorelines of the Tampa Bay estuary. An interesting fact about cobia is, they are often found swimming alongside large stingrays, sharks & manatees. Sight fishing these fast, sleek predators is a very exciting way to catch them. At bay To Bay Outfitters, we use many different styles and techniques to catch them. Artificial eels, live pinfish, & jumbo shrimp are all baits of choice when targeting large Cobia. They can grow to be in excess of 60lbs with some fish pushing 90+ lbs.
Sharks (Summer Months & winter months in the hot water outflow of the local power plants)
At Bay To Bay Outfitters, we believe Shark fishing in the waters in and around Tampa Bay is as exciting as it gets. You don’t have a pulse if your heart doesn’t pound watching a blacktip, bull, lemon, or hammerhead shark destroy a live bait right in front of you. It’s a front row seat to the adrenaline show. A little known fact: Bull sharks have the highest level of testosterone of any living animal on planet earth. That’s one mean fish!
Triple Tail (Fall & Spring)
These prehistoric creatures are as good to eat as they are to catch! It’s a sight fishing enthusiast delight. At Bay To Bay Outfitters, we hunt for triple tail around floating debris, dock pilings, bridges, and channel markers. We ease up slow on a channel buoy and look for these aggressive ambush predators, cast a shrimp or jig right in front of their face and boom, your hooked up. They are aggressive feeders who will almost always take the bait as they say. They float and lay on their side looking for any prey that comes into their line of site. Always a very fun fishery and one that we go after commonly.