Tampa is one of those locations that might surprise you. Known for excellent inshore fishing in Tampa Bay, the town is already a great place to go for an angling adventure. But go deep sea fishing in Tampa and you’ll find that almost every famous Floridian fish is at your fingertips!

Deep sea fishing grounds are only 30 to 40 miles away from the shore here. They’re inhabited by Blue and White Marlin, Blackfin, Yellowfin and Bluefin Tuna, as well as classic game fish like Mahi Mahi, Sailfish, Amberjack and many more. On the ocean floor, you can fish for Gag, Red, and Black Grouper, as well as Mutton and Red Snapper. And you’ll encounter Sharks, of course.

Since the fishing grounds are further out, these trips will usually be full-day or multiple day events. A longer excursion is needed to make sure you can spend enough time fishing to make the trip worthwhile. If you’re an ambitious angler, you can spend several days on the water, trying to catch your next personal best.

There are several hot spots that are popular with fishing charters in this area. Bottom fishing trips usually find success around wrecks and artificial reefs like the Mexican Pride shipwreck, or Treasure Island II reef. Anglers who are looking to catch Marlin, Tuna and other big game can head out to The Steps. This is a section on the drop-off, with good chances for finding Marlin and even Swordfish!