Lakewood Ranch Weather Forecast
Fishing reports straight from our guides in Lakewood Ranch
Our gag grouper and Amberjack season are open and although the weathers been less than perfect the fish seem to be chewing on our offshore trips , 250-400 ft seems to be the target area for big gags and amberjack . As the waters start cooling we will see the Hogfish and ki… Read more
Scroll for more
Redsnapper season is coming to a end . Most everything is about to be closed offshore except yellowtail snapper, mangrove snapper etc. Red grouper are closed . Red snapper close soon and im booked up till it ends . Redfish and snook have been good inshore .
Scroll for more
Flounder were good before the storm nearshore . We will see what this storm has done. Alot of sewage got dumped and wastewater full of high levels of nitrogen. Sality levels have dropped inshore. Water is dirty . I won't know what's really happening until I fish tomorrow. Been prepping for a hurricane for the last week. Just got the boats serviced and back on the lift.
Scroll for more
Shark fishing has been hot. Snook and redfish are eating live and cut bait. Trout have been eating live and artificial baits. There's been some mackerel activity on spoons and live bait. The mangrove snapper bite has been good on live sardines
Scroll for more
Nearshore bite has mackerel, cobia, groupers pushing shallow.
Inshore reds and snook are getting fired up.
Inshore reds and snook are getting fired up.
Inshore reds and snook are getting fired up.
Scroll for more
The fishing is full swing here in Tampa Bay, haven't heard much from your booking service in a while just making sure yall are still active! I have been getting some trips from the other service but yours has been my favorite to use honestly... will shoot over a few pics from recent trips, but the spring has sprung and we have been catching snook, trout, redfish, mackerel etc... firing off in Tampa Bay! Thank you, Capt Andrew
Scroll for more
Fish were biting good this week on the high outgoing tide. I was fishing around structure. Using 1/4 oz jig heads tip with live shrimp. We were catching redfish, trout, snapper, sheepshead, black drum and a few snook.
Scroll for more
Fall and early winter fishing fishing here in Tampa Bay is truly a great time to get out there This year was no exception. The redfish bite had been hot all summer, and carried right on into the fall with numbers and big fish as well, transitional fishing for Snook was also strong as the air and water temps fluctuated, dropping with each front, and then warming again. It created some great opportunities for site fishing for Cobia, and brought the speckled trout into their cooler water haunts. The water has been crystal clear and catching bait has still been...
Scroll for more
El Nino has had a major impact on our weather patterns lately, and I don’t expect it to change anytime soon. The worst part is that it seems to rain mostly on the weekends. This El Nino weather system also causes a huge fluctuation in temperatures. We’ve been getting two to three days of a cold front out of the north and El Nino pushes right back with the same out of the south.
What does this have to do with fishing, everything!
First off, catching baitfish can be difficult to nearly impossible. Cold water temperatures push baitfish into deeper...
What does this have to do with fishing, everything!
First off, catching baitfish can be difficult to nearly impossible. Cold water temperatures push baitfish into deeper...
What does this have to do with fishing, everything!
First off, catching baitfish can be difficult to nearly impossible. Cold water temperatures push baitfish into deeper water and around structure, like bridge pilings and range markers. Even on a relatively clam day catching baitfish in the winter can be challenging, add 15-20 knot winds and fuhgeddaboudit. I’ve been stopping at my local bait shop and buying medium-size shrimp lately just in case I can’t catch any baitfish before my charter. So far, that’s only happened once, but fortunately we caught plenty of fish anyway using only shrimp. Everything in Tampa Bay will eat a shrimp. That’s why it’s called the “Sara Lee” of baits.
Sheepshead especially like shrimp and they are very active right now. Most anglers think of sheepshead as living only around dock and bridge pilings, but they also hang out in deep sandy pot poles and around drop offs along mangroves. The latter are the two main areas that I prefer to pursue them. Fishing for sheepshead in the back bays has its advantages. Not only does it give you a better opportunity at catching other species of fish, but it can also give you shelter from the wind.
Just like chumming with baitfish activates fish, so does chumming with shrimp. That’s why at the end of the day, I never throw out my leftover live shrimp. I always bag and freeze it for my next charter. The next day when I’m running a charter and I arrive at my first fishing spot, I pull out a bag and start chumming the area with pieces of shrimp. Doing so draws in redfish. seatrout, ladyfish, jack crevalle and occasionally snook.
One thing that I always tell people is winter fishing can be very inconsistent and rewarding at the same time. No two days are ever the same, but if you keep an open mind and not be hell bent on catching only big fish, you can have a good outing.
Scroll for more
Catching a ton of fish in the bay and when it’s nice offshore we’ve been able to get into some nice cobia and plenty of sharks!! Fun times for all ages!
Scroll for more
Top Fishing Trips in Lakewood Ranch
Inshore, Nearshore Fishing in Port Charlotte
Port Charlotte Fishing Frenzy
24 ft
1 - 4 People
From $600
Inshore, Jetty, Flats in Holmes Beach
Inshore Fishing Trip
24 ft
1 - 6 People
From $600
10 Hour Trip – American Red Snapper
30 ft
1 - 6 People
From $2,400
Inshore, Nearshore, Flats in Ruskin
Grouper And Snapper Trips.
23 ft
1 - 4 People
From $600
Inshore, Nearshore, Flats in Ruskin
Ruskin Inshore Hook 'Em Up Trip
23 ft
1 - 8 People
From $450
Eco Tour, Boat Cruise, Sunset Cruise in Gulfport
St Pete Sandbar Trip - 35'
35 ft
1 - 6 People
From $500
