Tampa Bays Red Water
March 21, 2017 Tampa 1 photo
Redfish
Redfish

Trip Summary

Spring is here and the Redfish have made their presence known. Schools in the hundreds have been sited all over the Tampa Bay. Our last trip we caught several Redfish within the slot (keeping size), and many over slot fish. On average, the fish caught ranged between 27-35 inches and made for long drag pulling fights anywhere from 10-20 minutes long in duration. Now is definitely the time to try and hook up with one of these bronze bruisers!
Christopher Taylor
Tampa, Florida, United States
Florida Reels Fishing Charters – TA thumbnail
Florida Reels Fishing Charters are located where Florida meets fishing – in Tampa Bay! The Tampa Bay estuary is brimming with the inshore sport fish everyone wants to catch. Captain Christopher Taylor has over 20 years of experience fishing these wa...

Other reports from this captain

Springtime Redfish
Springtime Redfish
March 9, 2019
Its almost mid-March and the fishing's going to get even better the closer we get to April. March is known for its change in weather, and Redfish. Their are many estuaries to choose from in Tampa Bay that are holding good numbers of Redfish willing to eat anything in front of them. St. Petersburg is one of the many hot spot areas for catching big Redfish. The Redfish being caught are averaging anywhere from 25 - 30 inches, and many fish 30 - 38 inches are being brought to the boat. With the month of March having an epic start, I estimate the Redfish bite to carry itself well into April. Target areas for catching these fish are mangrove lines, and grass flats adjacent to any good span of mangroves or light structure. Preferably fishing the mangrove lines during higher tides, and grass flats on lower tides. Finding moving water is key to locating fish. Still water will hold fish however I find that many fish looking to eat are in areas of moving tides. When it comes to fishing for Redfish especially you must remain stealth in your approach and pay close attention to the activity presented to you on the waters surface. I make it a good habit of noting any disturbance on top of the water. I wear a pair of polarized sunglasses to reduce the glare on the water and spot fish. Wearing polarized sunglasses can also help locate pot holes that may hold fish as well as "Swash channels" small lines made into the bottom from current flow. Fish often use these swash channels as a pathway to venture on the length of a shallow flat. Choice baits for Redfish this month are Scaled Sardines and palm sized Pinfish. I present these baits free-lined with a 2/0-3/0 hook on 25-30 lb fluorocarbon leader. When determining where to soak your baits anchor your boat up in any of the areas mentioned before depending on tide and where the most water is moving and be patient, you may have to wait for the bite to start picking up. However when it does the wait is well worth the effort. Written by Capt. Christopher M Taylor
Continue reading