Wreck fishing in Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a premier fishing destination when targeting multiple species right inside the bay. With plenty of towers markers and spoil islands there is more than enough places for fish to hide. These areas hold plenty of structure oriented fish and make for some great fishing during the summer months. You can expect to have some great action packed Tampa fishing charters when you venture out into the bay. You will catch some of the most sought after fish in the Gulf of Mexico right inside the bay. Wreck fishing in Tampa Bay is a hidden jewel.
What bait to use when wreck fishing?
Bait is always the first chore on any Tampa fishing trip. When bay fishing I like to have plenty of live pinfish and Greenbacks. I also like to have a bunch of dead greenbacks or even better Threadfin Hearing. We use a lot of dead bait so the morning bait run can be somewhat time consuming but worth the extra time needed. We catch our bait while on the Tampa flats fishing just about year round. When its cold bait moves deep. In the summer bait has its hatch and typically is all over the flats. Our net of choice would be the Barracuda 12 foot 3/8 or 1/4 inch mesh depending on the bait size. Toss a little chum and you will be pulling in hundreds of bait and ready to go fishing.
Types of fish you will catch while wreck fishing?
As mentioned above Tampa Bay is filled with artificial reefs and wrecks from one end to the other. These wrecks are loaded with all types of structure and fish are not far behind. Fishing the wrecks,reefs, and ledges inside Tampa Bay will make your next Tampa fishing charters an epic day. One any given day we can catch Grouper,Snapper, Flounder, Sharks, Tarpon and Cobia just to name a few. Most of the time we can do this all in the same spot. Tampa Bay is a truly amazing fishery.
What type of tackle we will be using while fishing wrecks in Tampa Bay?
Tackle, techniques and tips are the last important part to fishing wrecks inside Tampa Bay. When fishing wrecks you want to have a variety of rods from a light tackle inshore rod for the Mangrove Snapper and Triple Tail, to the big heavy spinning gear for the bigger gamefish like Tarpon,Goliath Grouper,Gag Grouper and Sharks. Both of my preferred rods and reel combos are the Tsunami Evit 3000 size for light tackle and the 400 to 5000 for the heavier gear. Match this with the medium 8 foot action Tsunami Carbon rod for the lighter rig and the Extra Heavy spinning rod for the heavier stuff and you are ready for some great fishing in Tampa Bay. Check out the entire Tsunami line up.
Another great tip to help catch fish on these wrecks would be to have a good sonar with side imagining. This will help you find structure and actually see what type of structure is down there. I love the Lowrance Live units or you can’t go wrong with the Simrad GO12. Both offer a variety of features that will help you catch more fish. Check out some of the latest products at Navico
For more information on booking a fishing charter in Tampa Bay with me go straight to my website
