Wesley Chapel Fishing Reports (May 2026)

Craig Lahr
St. Petersburg, Florida
Reported: 3 years ago

With January being such a warm month water temperatures had pushed back into the mid 60s bringing a push of white bait AKA scaled sardines and threadfin herring into the back Waters of clearwater. Even though we’ve had this influx of bait and have been waking up early to catch...

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Craig Lahr St. Petersburg, Florida Reported: 3 years ago

With January being such a warm month water temperatures had pushed back into the mid 60s bringing a push of white bait AKA scaled sardines and threadfin herring into the back Waters of clearwater.
Even though we’ve had this influx of bait and have been waking up early to catch these morsels to have one more type of bait to use. live6 shrimp and small half dollar size pin fish are still working the best for trout and redfish. Fish have been moving quite frequently you will find trout and redfish in the same areas with the mullet schools on low water and high water but with cold fronts that are not really chilling the waters down these fish become confused and are tough to locate.
But since the water temperature has stayed stable for the last week and a half finally had a really good push spotted sea trout and redfish push up on the spoil Islands and shorelines of clearwater and Indian Rocks Beach grass Flats. Snook have been far and few and in between due to they are sensitive to atmospheric change of the small fronts that have come through they are mainly at the mouths of canals a few roaming the flats close to canals where they can reach deeper water and warmer water. Look for fishing to continue to be the same it has been good just a lot of moving which allows clients to check out famous mansions the back Waters where you feel like you’re in old Florida and many different areas throughout Indian Rocks Beach, Dunedin to Tarpon Springs.

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Jim Vanderbeck
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 3 years ago

Inshore trout and sheepshead around the beaches has been awesome. Offshore the hogfish bite is crazy good but about one out of ten is a keeper.

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Jim Vanderbeck Clearwater, Florida Reported: 3 years ago

Inshore trout and sheepshead around the beaches has been awesome. Offshore the hogfish bite is crazy good but about one out of ten is a keeper.

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Phil Pegley
Ruskin, Florida
Reported: 3 years ago

We’ve had a shot of spring weather and aside from a couple of 50° mornings temps have been surging to upper around 80° in the afternoon for the past couple of weeks. This has warmed the Tampa bay waters to a friendly, 75° and has really lit a fire for...

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Phil Pegley Ruskin, Florida Reported: 3 years ago

We’ve had a shot of spring weather and aside from a couple of 50° mornings temps have been surging to upper around 80° in the afternoon for the past couple of weeks. This has warmed the Tampa bay waters to a friendly, 75° and has really lit a fire for our inshore fishing trips , and has put the fish in some of our early spring transitional fishing areas. snook, redfish, trout, and Jack Crevalle have all been on the hit list

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Steve Hunsucker
Largo, Florida
Reported: 3 years ago

Winter fishing has been fun as we have bottom-fishing on most of our offshore trips. The main catch has been catch-and-release gag groupers, hogfish, mangrove snappers, lane snappers, porgies, and grunts on all of our length trips. These species make for lots of excellent white fish for our captains’ to...

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Steve Hunsucker Largo, Florida Reported: 3 years ago

Winter fishing has been fun as we have bottom-fishing on most of our offshore trips. The main catch has been catch-and-release gag groupers, hogfish, mangrove snappers, lane snappers, porgies, and grunts on all of our length trips. These species make for lots of excellent white fish for our captains’ to fillet back at the dock and send home with our customers! We will continue to target these fish until the water warms up and the trolling bite gets hot! Busy spring break in Clearwater Beach is coming, time to book your March and April charters now!

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Craig Lahr
St. Petersburg, Florida
Reported: 3 years ago

Spotted sea trout are starting to push into the clearwater to St. Joseph Sound region. Mild temperatures have delayed their full migration, as it has in years past. Typically, multiple cold fronts that keep the water temperatures lower, will usher in more of the larger, female trout. However, there are...

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Craig Lahr St. Petersburg, Florida Reported: 3 years ago

Spotted sea trout are starting to push into the clearwater to St. Joseph Sound region. Mild temperatures have delayed their full migration, as it has in years past. Typically, multiple cold fronts that keep the water temperatures lower, will usher in more of the larger, female trout. However, there are a few small schools beginning to congregate. Several tactics are working especially this early in the season.
Redfish are plenty full. Although most are 22 to 25in. However, the larger fish are blending in with the mullet schools on most flats. Cut ladyfish, or pinfish cut or under a popping cork are working when casting directly into the mullet schools. Large shrimp have also produced results.
Since the water temperature has increased back into the mid 70’s, snook are still cooperating. They are responding to live sardines especially on the falling tides flowing out of the backwaters around the mouths of bays and canals. Targeting the main 3 species will change dramatically due to a cold front coming through tomorrow and cold fronts all the way through Christmas taking our temperatures from the high 70s to low 80s to mid-60s and as the days go on down to 50s as highs and 40s at night will make the fish move to completely different areas. tight lines

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Jim Vanderbeck
Clearwater, Florida
Reported: 3 years ago

Lots a red grouper and red snapper offshore in about 90 feet.

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Jim Vanderbeck Clearwater, Florida Reported: 3 years ago

Lots a red grouper and red snapper offshore in about 90 feet.

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Eric Topole
Ruskin, Florida
Reported: 3 years ago

Cold temperatures dipping into the 30s and 40s have turned on the sheepshead bite. They can be caught all over the bay and near shore reefs.

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Eric Topole Ruskin, Florida Reported: 3 years ago

Cold temperatures dipping into the 30s and 40s have turned on the sheepshead bite. They can be caught all over the bay and near shore reefs.

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Phil Pegley
Ruskin, Florida
Reported: 3 years ago

Well, two weeks ago, the water tem dropped 12 degrees in a day and a half due to a strong cold front that came over the state of Florida and shut down our inshore fishing bite one thing we deal with is acclamation, whether the water drop or rises, can...

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Phil Pegley Ruskin, Florida Reported: 3 years ago

Well, two weeks ago, the water tem dropped 12 degrees in a day and a half due to a strong cold front that came over the state of Florida and shut down our inshore fishing bite one thing we deal with is acclamation, whether the water drop or rises, can shut the fish down for a few days so our focus is fishing around the hot water discharge at local power plants this actually opens up fishing opportunities for us what we only get when the temps plummet sharks, Pompano, Permit, and cobia are just part of the fish that take advantage of the warmer water, along with tarpon, manatees and rays.

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