Tampa Bay Kayak Charters

This month’s feature article in Onshore Offshore Magazine

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:21:50 +0000

Hey guys, check out this month’s feature article in Onshore Offshore Magazine by yours truly. The article discusses advantages to, and tactics for kayak fishing in Tampa Bay during low tides. You can view the article online or pick up a copy (FREE!) at your local tackle shop.

http://onshoreoffshore.com/fishing-low-tide.html

Tailing reds with Jon Brett 1/6/12

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:28:56 +0000

Jon Brett of http://fishbuzz.tv and I got out for a quick morning trip on his skiff this morning in Lower Tampa Bay. We found large schools of redfish tailing early and Jon was able to connect to two over slot fish on the fly rod. I was not so lucky, breaking off one and pulling the hook on another before the fish stopped tailing.

With the tide still coming in and the fish not showing themselves anymore we made a quick move and got back on fish quickly. Using the MirrOdine I landed two reds to 26″ and a handful of trout up to 23″. Jon landed a few smaller reds as well on CAL shad tails before we called it a day around 11.

This time of year is as good as it gets for sight fishing to redfish. I cater to fly anglers as well as spin, so how ever you want to target them.. we can get after ‘em!

Fishing w/ Kapers 1/5

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:22:47 +0000

Met Kapers for a late morning trip inside Tampa Bay to look for hungry redfish after our recent cold snap. Water temps dropped significantly into the low 60’s with air temps getting as low as the 30’s at night. The day started out chilly but warmed slightly as the day went on. We launched later in the day around 10:30 and began seeing fish soon there after.

It did not take long for us to hook up so we jumped out of the boats and waded. Finally tally was 10+ redfish and a handful of slot sized trout. Trout season is now open for our region of Florida, but these fish were released to fight another day. Because we were wading, we did not take many pics, but here’s a few!

Girlfriend got on the big trout 1/1/12

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:12:00 +0000

My girlfriend and I decided to spend New Year’s day on the water together and launched the kayaks inside Tampa Bay. We fished the high incoming tide and found the big trout and redfish in the same areas around mullet schools. All of today’s fish came on XL MirrOdine’s twitched slowly under the surface. The trout were even bigger today with the biggest fish taping out just over 26″. My girlfriend got one at 24″ with about a dozen fish well over the 20″ mark. Most of the reds were small with a few lower slot fish and one 24″er.

Fishing with Dave in Lower Tampa Bay 12/30

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:05:03 +0000

Got Dave from Chicago out for the morning in the waters of lower Tampa Bay in the kayaks. We started the morning catching trout, flounder and ladyfish along the edges of grass flats as the tide moved out. Dave scored a bonus pompano that came home for dinner that night.

Once the tide stopped moving we made a slight relocation and began throwing suspending baits in mullet schools waiting for the incoming tide. Dave got started right away with a redfish and quickly followed up with several large trout between 20-24″. I even got in the mix with a 26″ trout of my own. The bite was hot for a few hours until the tide eventually became slack and we were off the water before sunset.

New Years Eve big trout 12/31

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:53:18 +0000

Trent and I got out for a few hours on new years eve inside Tampa Bay. We fished the last few hours of day light, catching a dozen or more reds mostly cookie cutters and low slot with a few upper slots mixed in. The hot bite of the evening was the big trout with several trout between 20-23.5″ coming in. The tide was medium/high and incoming, and the fish were found around mullet schools in roughly knee deep water. With high temps it was very comfortable out and the fish were active! All fish tonight caught on the MirrOLure Lil John and MirrOdine.

Christmas Morning Redfish Action!

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:30:49 +0000

Got out with Mike this morning in the kayaks on Tampa Bay looking for redfish and anything else willing to eat our jigs. We started fishing depressions and pot holes landing a dozen or more trout and a few flounder. We moved up onto the flat into shallower water and started seeing tailing redfish. Casting into potholes, and at tailing/cruising redfish we landed many fish in the upper/over slot size range. As the tide came in the fish moved their way onto the flats and began tailing aggressively.We landed several more fish before calling it an early day to get back for Christmas day festivities.

As always, all fish were landed on red/gold flake MirrOLure Lil Johns on weighted weedless worm hooks. It is important to remember to rig lightly for these spooky fish. No more than 20# fluorocarbon leader is a must and long casts to avoid startling the fish.

Christmas Eve Tailing Redfish 12/24

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:17:45 +0000

Got out Sam to fish the low incoming tide in the afternoon. With the tide moderately high and incoming fish were scattered across the grass flats, tailing and pushing in very shallow water. Using MirrOLure Lil Johns in red/gold flake on a weighted weedless hook we landed several large upper/overslot sized fish. Temps in the high 70’s-80’s makes for very comfortable conditions, especially while wading to these spooky fish.

Sightfishing in Upper Tampa Bay 12/16

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:12:38 +0000

Got out with Sean, a fellow employee at Osprey Bay, to do some lowtide fishing in Upper Tampa Bay. We launched the kayaks around 11 am anticipating a lowtide around noon. We fished deep water with Lil Johns on 1/4 oz jig heads and landed a dozen small redfish and trout.

Once the tide began moving in we moved out onto the flats to look for larger redfish. Lighting was poor but I was able to sight cast to one large over slot redfish that resulted in a hook up. This fish ate the gold/glow DOA shad tail. Sean also connected to two other slot fish on the flat as well.

This time of year is the best for sight fishing to large redfish on shallow, crystal clear grass flats in Tampa Bay. If casting to tailing, laid up and cruising fish is what you want to do, then now is the time to go!

Lowtide Pothole Action 12/11/12

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:02:36 +0000

Got Jordan out during some low tides recently in Tampa Bay for some redfish action. At our first stop we caught several trout to 20″ and a few reds to 24″. There were mullet guys running around the area we wanted to fish so we decided to relaunch the kayaks and fish elsewhere. After a short paddle in, we were back in the trucks and on to our next destination.

Our next spot payed off as we found tons of redfish laid up in potholes waiting for the incoming tide. We caught fish after fish until the tide got too high and the fish were able to escape the potholes and scatter onto the grass flats. Our bait of choice today was MirrOlure Lil John in red/gold flake and golden bream on 1/4 oz jigheads and weighted weedless hooks.

With moderate temps the redfish action remains steady in Tampa Bay this December. Fishing is hot, lets’ get out there! Give me a call and I’ll put you on them!