Early Summer Provide Plenty Of Options When booking your next Tampa Fishing Charter
Early summer fishing on Tampa Bay is some great fishing for multiple species. May is a month that brings great weather and it also gets warm but not hot.On any given day you can catch the famous inshore slam and its not out of the question to get the Grand slam ( Tarpon,Snook, Redfish, Trout) May is the month that makes fisherman dreams come a reality. Get ready for some awesome fishing.
It all starts with bait when fishing Tampa Bay and bait finally gets a bit easier as it moves up onto the flats. So before leaving the dock you want to make sure and pack your flats net and plenty of chum to load up on bait. I have fell in love with the humpback 10 foot Shallow water net. It’s a the same as the deep water nets but is a lighter version of the net making it easier to throw. Bait in May if all over the shallow water flats of Tampa Bay so your days are not spent struggling to get bait.
One of the featured species would have to be Tarpon as they show up in great numbers along the beaches. Tarpon are one of the most sought after fish in west central Florida. It’s a great fish to catch and definitely a fish everyone should get off the bucket list. Good areas of interest would have to be just off the beaches, bay area bridges and the outer flats. Tackle of choice would have to be the heavy stuff. I have had good success with the St Croix Tidemaster extra heavy matched with the Daiwa BG 5000. Match this is 60 lb Braided line of your choice and you will have the perfect combo for Tarpon fishing.
Snook fishing in Tampa Bay is also a great option as well this time of year. This is the time of year that the big Snook come to play as we head into the spawn. Look for plenty of females to move onto the outer flats in search of food as they get ready for another year of a healthy population. As Snook season closes I expect some relief on our slot fish as they get a chance to recover. Targeting areas like the outer flats and spoil areas will be very productive all the way into fall.
Redfish should also start to show but after a few difficult years Im not sure how the redfish run will end up. There has been plenty of concern on Reds and a ton of opinion as to why fish are not showing up in the numbers we are used to. No one really knows the answer but it’s a growing concern. With the record number of new people to the area and boat sales being great it has to be a factor of many. With that being said there are fish to be caught. Targeting potholes around the oyster bars and mangroves are good places for the single to make their way on and off the flats with the tides. These are all good places to find reds.
Captain Jason Prieto is a native resident of Tampa and has fished
Tampa Bay and its surrounding waters for the past 20 years. He is
owner and operator of Steady Action Fishing Charters which is based
out of lower Tampa Bay. To book a charter, you can reach him at
813-727-9890 or www.steadyactionfishingcharters.com. If you would like
to catch him on the internet tune into Tampa Fishing Outfitters
Fishing Show On Facebook live and You tube from 6 to 7Pm every
Wednesday evening Come join us in the fun…
