Palm Harbor Fishing Reports (October 2024)

John Rivers
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

It's officially Spring in Tampa Bay Area. Snook are all over the place and are feeding well. Water temp's are right where they should be which puts the fish in a good mood, which means bent rods and screaming drags. Live bait is the best choice, but if you like...

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John Rivers Tampa, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

It's officially Spring in Tampa Bay Area. Snook are all over the place and are feeding well. Water temp's are right where they should be which puts the fish in a good mood, which means bent rods and screaming drags.
Live bait is the best choice, but if you like tossing artificials, no worries, you'll catch your fair share as well. Here are a few lures that I like when targeting snook, redfish and trout. Headon's Spookis my go to for top-water. For redfish, and trout, I like tossing a 4"paddle tail ( colors: white and clear with red metal-flake ). Snook in Tampa Bay are live bait feeders, but you can still get them to eat artificials. I like a 1/8oz snake-lock jig head with a ZMan Paddlerz. Schools of redfish are also showing up on the flats in a few areas. These fish are very boat shy, so be quiet and patient and you'll hook a few. Once again, live or cut bait has been the best way to hook these skittish bronze beauties.
Some of the redfish schools have been beat up by some fishermen, but that’s just how it goes with the amount of boaters on the water these days, so again, be patient and you'll hook a few. They are mostly oversized fish, which means your drag is gonna scream. The sheepshead bite is still going strong in Tampa Bay, and the rock piles, jetties and bridges have been producing some nice catches. Live shrimp, fiddler and mud crabs have been the baits of choice.

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Mike Morse
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Inshore bite hasn't slowed down at all. Grass flats and mangrove lines

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Mike Morse Clearwater, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Inshore bite hasn't slowed down at all. Grass flats and mangrove lines

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Seth Leto
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Good numbers of upper to over-slot snook have showed up along the beaches and in the passes. Snook and tarpon will be our main target species for the next few months.

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Seth Leto Tarpon Springs, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Good numbers of upper to over-slot snook have showed up along the beaches and in the passes. Snook and tarpon will be our main target species for the next few months.

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Jim Vanderbeck
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Kingfish and amberjack seem to be on every reef!!

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Jim Vanderbeck Clearwater, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Kingfish and amberjack seem to be on every reef!!

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John Rivers
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Fishing report for the last two weeks in the Tampa bay area. The trout bite has been exceptional on the flats from 3 to 6 foot of water in the morning on an incoming tide, a Pilchard under a under afloat works best. I like using 15 to 20 pound...

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John Rivers Tampa, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Fishing report for the last two weeks in the Tampa bay area.
The trout bite has been exceptional on the flats from 3 to 6 foot of water in the morning on an incoming tide, a Pilchard under a under afloat works best. I like using 15 to 20 pound leader with a 1/0 to 2/0 Circle hook.
Next move over at redfish the fish can be very finicky and hard to find sometimes because they are heavily fished, but luckily I have been on a good red fish bite the past two weeks, and again on an incoming tide has been the ticket, cut bait on the bottom, like threadfin or cut mullet Has been working well. I like to use 20 to 30 pound leader with a 2/0 circle hook.
And let’s not forget our favorite fish in the area and what makes Tampa Bay world renowned: the hard fighting beautiful Snook. These fish can get upwards of 40+ inches. The average fish caught on fishing trips are between 18 and 27 inches, but you never know when you’re going to hook into that 30” to 35” or even 40” fish and you better be ready because when they hit, you’re definitely gonna know it.
Over the next couple weeks, the snook are going to start to make their way out to the beaches and then start their spawn. So for the next three weeks the odds of hooking into a 30 inch plus or even 40 inch fish is pretty good that’s why I love May so much here in the Tampa Bay area.

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Phil Pegley
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Spring into summer by fishing in Tampa Bay! Charter fishing in the last month in Tampa Bay is about as good as it gets as far as plenty of action plenty of great fish to catch and plenty of options for our local fish and we have migrating species invading...

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Phil Pegley Tampa, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Spring into summer by fishing in Tampa Bay!
Charter fishing in the last month in Tampa Bay is about as good as it gets as far as plenty of action plenty of great fish to catch and plenty of options for our local fish and we have migrating species invading our local waters. With the warming waters we get large schools of cigar minnows, hard tails, blue runners, and threadfin herring with that brings king fish, sharks, Spanish mackerel, Bonita, and even sailfish and blackfin tuna. Our inshore fishing has been on fire our customers have found redfish and large speckled trout with plenty of snook in the last month, and we are seeing more and more tarpon showing up with every passing moon so it's time to grip that rod reel just a little bit tighter and be ready for those silver kings to come a calling. I don't really expect any real changes except for more tarpon and sharks in the weeks to come so tight lines until next time. -Captain Phil

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Ivan Reyes
St. Petersburg, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

Spring chinook salmon is on fire in the Columbia river gorge.

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Ivan Reyes St. Petersburg, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

Spring chinook salmon is on fire in the Columbia river gorge.

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Seth Leto
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Reported: 1 year ago

The redfish bite along mangrove shorelines and oyster bars continues to be strong. The first push of tarpon are starting to show up along the beaches. Look for more fish to move into the area around each new/full moon.

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Seth Leto Tarpon Springs, Florida Reported: 1 year ago

The redfish bite along mangrove shorelines and oyster bars continues to be strong. The first push of tarpon are starting to show up along the beaches. Look for more fish to move into the area around each new/full moon.

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