Holmes Beach Fishing Reports (January 2025)

Holmes Beach Weather Forecast

Fishing reports straight from our guides in Holmes Beach

Cody Beckman
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 4 days ago

Cody Beckman Tampa, Florida Reported: 4 days ago

Too good not to post… so a client comes in from the eastern shore of Maryland and says he wants to catch snook. Mind you, he has never seen a snook in his life, let alone catch one. So we set out with a clear goal to target big snook but neither us of, especially me, expected to hook into this absolute behemoth. Most people will never get an opportunity to catch a snook this big and if they do, most people won’t be able to land it. This fish did not make it easy on us; we got her boat side and in the net and she immediately shook her head and ripped a huge hole in the landing net with her gill plates. This is when the chaos ensued. She swam through the net and wrapped the power pole and motor and swam completely under the boat while still being hooked. So I immediately jumped in the water and swam under the boat to secure the fish. I managed to get a good grip on her bottom lip and pull her from under the boat and untangle the mess she got us in. Instead of taking this big fish out of the water in the heat of summer, I kindly but sternly “asked” him to get in the water also for the picture. Fish that big in water temps this hot do not survive if kept of out the water for the normal boat picture “photoshoot”. He didn’t hesitate and jumped in and we got this amazing photo of his fish of lifetime. The rest of the day everyone was smiling from ear to ear and in shock of what had just taken place. A day and fish I’m sure neither of us will ever forget.

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Darius Kirschner
Sarasota, Florida
Reported: 4 days ago

After catching about a dozen snook and a few smaller redfish, I told this angler that the big one is coming. On his next cast after releasing an average sized snook, he got the bite we were looking for. With big head shakes and hard fast runs, I knew this...

Darius Kirschner Sarasota, Florida Reported: 4 days ago

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Vasiliy Obukhov
Lakewood Ranch, Florida
Reported: 6 days ago

122 lbs Big ass Cobia

Vasiliy Obukhov Lakewood Ranch, Florida Reported: 6 days ago

122 lbs Big ass Cobia

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Ron Finger with Fishhawk Charters
Tierra Verde, Florida
Reported: 6 days ago

Ron Finger with Fishhawk Charters Tierra Verde, Florida Reported: 6 days ago

Hogfish is one of the more exotic-looking reef fish encountered when offshore fishing. A large bottom-feeder, Hogfish are targeted in areas just inshore and offshore of the main reef locations. Hog Snapper, or Hogfish, is a large species of wrasse that is easily identified by its long, hog-like snout and extendable mouth, which allow the fish to feed on bottom-dwelling mollusks and crustacea. Larger individuals will generally occur in the main reef area, with smaller fish residing among the patch reefs. Hogfish have a strong, flat body that makes even small fish exceptional fighters, and they are considered to be a delicacy in the Florida Keys. Flaky texture and a sweet-rich flavor similar to Scallops have earned the Hogfish a place on the menus of most restaurants. Hogfish have become a highly coveted species for traditional anglers over the last several years. Luckily for us on the gulf side of Florida, Hogfish season is open year-round. In order to be able to keep your catch the Hogfish’s fork length must be at least 14”. The daily bag limit in the Gulf of Mexico is 5 hogfish per harvester. This species is one of the most underrated when it comes to food. However, anyone who has eaten one of their catches knows how delicious they are. Some argue that hogfish may even be tastier than a snapper or flounder fillet.

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Steven Herich
Sarasota, Florida
Reported: 1 week ago

It was a monster! Made the local paper and TV news. It was 52" and caught it from the beach 🏖️

Steven Herich Sarasota, Florida Reported: 1 week ago

It was a monster! Made the local paper and TV news. It was 52" and caught it from the beach 🏖️

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George Hastick
St. Petersburg, Florida
Reported: 2 weeks ago

Trout and redfish have been on fire fishing the docks and the backwaters with some snook mixed in. Shrimp, artificials and scaled sardines have all been working. Fiddler crabs and shrimp have been catching sheepshead.

George Hastick St. Petersburg, Florida Reported: 2 weeks ago

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Matt Fueyo with Reel Tight Fishing Charters
Sarasota, Florida
Reported: 2 weeks ago

Keep em coming bites on fire.

Matt Fueyo with Reel Tight Fishing Charters Sarasota, Florida Reported: 2 weeks ago

Keep em coming bites on fire.

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Christian Lugo
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 2 weeks ago

Currently lots of sheepshead been biting along with some sharks and sand trout. The cold weather has slowed down some bites but the back creeks have been shows to catch them

Christian Lugo Tampa, Florida Reported: 2 weeks ago

Currently lots of sheepshead been biting along with some sharks and sand trout. The cold weather has slowed down some bites but the back creeks have been shows to catch them

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What's Biting in Holmes Beach

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★★★★★
Matt was on top of my trip and super flexible. I had to change a date last minute and he made it work for me. He set me up with Captain Adam who was a phenomenal guide. 12/10 would do this again and recommend to any one who’s interested in catching some awesome fish!
Alexander S. | January 21, 2025

Trip: Fishing Fun in the Florida Sun
★★★★★
Christopher was an excellent guide for me and my ten year old. He was patient, attentive and put us on the sharks! He is also an awesome photographer!
Heath S. | January 18, 2025

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Fishing
★★★★★
Great day on the water with Captain Hank and his son. Fishing was excellent. Would definitely recommend Captain Hank for a day of fishing.
Thomas H. | January 7, 2025

Trip: 4-8 Hour Fishing Trip
★★★★★
Great night out with Captain Ike. Very patient and knowledgeable. Will be back next year for more then the 4 hour trip. Put us on plenty of fish with tons of shots.
Jeff J. | January 6, 2025

Trip: Tampa Bowfishing
★★★★★
Knowledgeable, friendly, courteous and most important… he took us to where the fish were biting. Had a great experience and caught plenty of fish for dinner. He was patient with all of us and attentive as well. Fished multiple spots. Kept the trip moving. I would recommend.
Robert T. | January 3, 2025

Trip: Bountiful Backwaters of Sarasota
★★★★★
Great trip with a great captain!
Adam G. | January 3, 2025

Trip: Bowfishing the Tampa Bay
★★★★★
Capn Mike took us out and was very informative about how and why and where went went Ladyfish were plentiful. it was tougher for bigger fish. But thats the way fishing is. Capn MIke kept us out longer in hopes of getting something We appreciated that, All in all it was a good experience and we would do it again. Don B
Donald B. | December 31, 2024

Trip: St. Petersburg Inshore Slam
★★★★★
Greg and his mate Logan were fantastic. They were friendly, accommodating, knowledgeable, efficient, and very “fishy”! We had a great day with them. I recommend Captain Greg highly.
Christopher S. | December 31, 2024

Trip: St. Pete Offshore Experience
★★★★★
We had a great trip! The boat was very nice and spacious. Mike was great with the kids and teaching us how to fish. Not all of us were able to hit something, but we still had fun. We saw so much nature including dolphins that swam with us.
Lindsay C. | December 28, 2024

Trip: Bowfishing the Tampa Bay
★★★★★
Captain Brad and his first mate were great for our outing. Since my kids were new to ocean fishing, he kept us within a few miles of shore and knew some rocky pockets where we hauled in many fish. We had a blast. One reason I chose Capt Brad was the 33’ boat which was roomy to maneuver for our party of six. They are friendly and accommodating.
Karl B. | December 28, 2024

Trip: Clearwater offshore fishing