If you are an ardent angler, it’s impossible that you haven’t heard of the fame of Tampa Bay, Florida, about the amazing fishing experiences it has to offer. You must know that there are more than 200 different species you can chase in the breathtaking settings of the Bay. Whether you want to go on your own or under the supervision of professional fishing charter boat captains with years of experience and knowledge of every nook and corner of the Bay, you can get anything you want here. But still if you don’t know, here’s a little excerpt of the wonderments that will make you eager to visit this fishing paradise.
Spread over 400 square miles of the greenish waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay is a surefire destination to get a tremendous diversity of fish. While most leading fisheries have to struggle for maintaining their variety of signature fish, Tampa Bay’s rich ecosystem hosts almost all of the favorite fish of the state.
Wherever you want to go and in whichever season, whether on fishing charters Tampa or alone, whether it’s Clearwater, Tampa, Sarasota or St. Pete, you’ll find no scarcity of fish in Tampa Bay. Here’s more exciting information.
Species
When you are out for fishing on Tampa Bay, you have all the chances of catching over a dozen species on any trip. You’ll find schools of trailing Redfish resting on glassy seabed, the powerful Snook lurking the mangrove shorelines and the famous Florida Tarpon wandering through the endless passes of the Bay. But these waters have much more than these traditional favorites. It also has many other species like Jack Crevalle, Trout, Mackerel, Lady Fish, Flounder, Grouper, Cobia, Snapper and a great range of Sharks including Tiger Shark, Blacktip, Bull Shark, Hammerhead and so on. All these great personalities make Tampa Bay their home in different seasons.
What’s more, the inshore fisheries of the Bay are visited by numerous other game fish like Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, Black Drum, Pompano and more.
Nearshore Fishing
Even if you step outside the Bay, you don’t need to stop partying! Offshore fishing charters commonly leave from Clearwater and St. Petersburg. These fishing trips Tampa can provide you a unique opportunity to explore the vast Gulf of Mexico with its great variety of game fish and innumerable reefs, wrecks, hard bottoms, ledges and abundant weed lines.
Every year, the bait-laden waters of the Gulf become full of pelagics and other predatory fish including Barracuda, Dorado, Permit and Kingfish all through the summer. Bottom waters are home to species like Gag Grouper, Goliath Grouper, Amberjack, Cobia, Flounder, Red Snapper and many other rock dwellers.
Fishing Methods
Although Tampa Bay is primarily a light tackle fishery, you can experiment with many other fishing styles.
Fly Fishing
For unknown reasons, Tampa Bay is usually neglected as a top fly fishing destination. In fact, it has a great potential to attract fly fishing enthusiasts and most popular fish species like Redfish, Tarpon, Cobia, Sea Trout, Snook etc. that can be targeted on fly.
Night Fishing
Night fishing is one of the most favorite summer pastimes of Floridians. Night fishing in Tampa Bay is not only convenient but also sensible because most of the species are nocturnal and likes feeding after sunset, especially in the hottest months.
Bowfishing
Tampa Bay doesn’t require you to be an expert archer for its Sheepshead, Mullet, Flounder, Mangrove Snapper and Rays. Many captains will recommend you bowfishing at nighttime.
Wildlife Sighting
Apart from fishing, Tampa Bay will offer you the joy of watching unusual animals like Dolphins, Manatees and exotic birds.
So, are you excited to visit Tampa Bay? When will you be planning a trip?
