Fishing Report Tampa Bay

Cold Winter should Bring Some Great Spring Fishing For 2018

Well 2018 has brought some of the coldest weather we have had in years. While this might make for some though fishing for the beginning of the year history shows that it should make for some great spring fishing.

February is a month of change. Its a month that offers change from winter tactic spring. Typically our bait shows up on the markers and bridges and fish are not far behind the bait. Snook fishing towards the end of the month should be on fire. Once that bait shows up you can count on catching Snook and with a cold January Snook will be on the prowl.

In addition to Snook would have to be Sea Trout. While our Trout fishing has been sub par in past years Im hopeful that this has just been an off few years and that they will bounce back this year with a normal winter. Trout fishing is typically good throughout the winter but the big breeders come out to play around the end of February and into March. Trout is one of my top fish to target with artificials and you can’t go wrong with a Zman Paddlerz. My favorite color would have to be pearl white. If you are going to use live bait shrimp work well with a #1 Daiichi circle hook. I also have a lot of success using Cajun Thunder Back Bay floats. Always use a Dehooker on Trout. I see people everyday handing these fish on releases improperly and they are just not very hearty fish.

Redfish is still on the radar but will depend on when the higher tides fall during the month. This time of year we are fishing more negative low tides than high tides so the amount of water to get close to the fish is very limited. Water is also very clear so fish tend to spook off easier. This being said I would not count out Redfish. Good options are to get out on a paddle board and wade fish these spots. This will give you a stealthy approach and allow you to get closer to the fish. I really like throwing artificial baits but don’t count out live shrimp. The Mirrolure Mirrodine is also a great option as well.

Sheepshead are one of the hidden jewels this time of year. Most see these toothy critters on the flats but I like to fish the wrecks and ledges in deeper water. For me it seems these fish feed better and are more aggressive. Having a good bottom machine is key to find the ledges that hold fish. I can tell you that using side imaging on these wrecks makes a huge difference. It gives you eyes underwater to the entire area instead of just downward. My Simrad does the trick with the down and side imaging. There are a bunch of different bait that work for Sheepshead but I typically just use smaller shrimp. Its readily available at all bait shops…..

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..