Fishing in Tampa Bay is on FIRE!

March 2011 From Hernando Beach to Venice

Fishing in Tampa Bay is on FIRE this time of year. The water is warming up, bait is arriving, fish are coming out from their winter time hideouts, it just doesn't get any better than spring time fishing in the Bay.

On the beaches look for Pompano and Spanish Mackerel to be top catches for surf fishing. Spoons and shrimp tipped jigs produce good results.

Snook and Redfish are on the flats ready to eat, jigs, plugs, live shrimp and later this month maybe some greenbacks.

From Gandy Bridge south to Fort Desoto have some very big Redfish around so keep an eye out for them cruising along the mangrove shoreline.

Sheepshead are still everywhere inshore on rock piles, bridges and oyster bars. A cut piece of shrimp on a jig head or just threaded on a hook works great for these fish.

Black Drum are in the lower part of the Bay around the Fort Desoto area and around the bay area bridges. Jigs, shrimp and half a blue crab is the bait of choice.

Trout are on most of the bay grass flats and can be caught using a popping cork and live shrimp or a jig.

Some big gator trout can be caught on the shallower grassflats where you will be looking for Redfish, so keep an eye out.

Cobia are showing up around channel markers and buoys. Buck tail jigs and eel imitations can not be turned down by these fish.

Make sure to keep a rod rigged and ready because you never know when you might run across a Cobia.