Best Months: July through November, and a dependable target year round.

Although attaining weights exceeding 50 pounds in large breeding schools in the gulf of Mexico, Redfish on the flats and along mangrove shorelines average 3-5 pounds with fish over 10 pounds common. On light to medium spinning and bait casting tackle and fly, Redfish are absolute bullies. On shallow grassflats, their fight is marked by long dogged runs and just plain stubbornness. They eat just about anything from live and cut bait to spoons, jigs, plugs and flies. The strike of a nice Redfish on a top water plug is literally explosive. Try it once and you'll be hooked for life. Catches numbering in double digits are common during the best months, sending many anglers home with big smiles and tired arms. They're pretty good eating with a daily bag limit of one fish per person between 18" and 27."

 

 

Best Months: April through October though they can be caught year round, depending on severity of Winter.

Averaging 5-7 pounds and reaching weights in excess of 25 pounds in the Tampa Bay area, the Common Snook is considered Florida's most popular inshore game fish. Fished on light to medium spinning and bait casting tackle, they eat live bait, jigs, plugs & artificals. Violent strikes, sizzling runs, surface head shakes and even jumps punctuate a battle with the Snook. Plentiful in the Tampa Bay area, you'll catch Snook along mangrove shorelines, oyster bars, grassflats, bridges and even residential docks depending on the time of year. 

 

 

 

Best Months: March and April for the very biggest Trout, otherwise, all sizes dependable year round. They readily take live bait, jigs, plugs, flies, and the big ones absolutely explode on top water plugs.Trout average about 1 1/2 pounds with 2-4 pounders fairly common, four or five pounds is a big one here and over five pounds is a real "Gator Trout".

 

 

 

Best Months: April through September in the Bay and Gulf. December through February in the warm water run-off at the power plants.

Resembling Sharks when swimming, these "Brown Bombers" cruise the flats during Spring and Summer, often following large Southern Sting Rays. They are also found around structure of any kind in the Bay and Gulf and will usually take live, dead or artificial baits readily. Although many are around 30", the legal size is 33" to the fork of the tail and fish exceeding 50 pounds are not uncommon. They make long, powerful runs, surface head shakes, sometimes even jumping, and seemingly never give up.

 

 

 

Best Months: April through October.

Readily taking live bait, lures and flies, these speedsters scream drag off the reel and are often caught one after the other till your arms are sore. They average 2-3 pounds with 5-6 pounders fairly common and are quite good eating.

 

 

Sheepshead, Gag Grouper, Mangrove Snapper, King Mackerel, Pompano, Permit, Jack Crevalle, Bluefish, and Ladyfish among others round out the mix of hard fighting species common to the Tampa Bay Area.