Sand Bay Fishing Reports (December 2025)

Wade Osborne
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

If you are visiting the area and staying in hotels on the beach, you have probably noticed some effects of Red Tide. The first things you may notice are a scratchy throat and coughing. The next thing you may witness are dead fish. Unfortunately, there has been a Red Tide...

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Wade Osborne Tampa, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

If you are visiting the area and staying in hotels on the beach, you have probably noticed some effects of Red Tide. The first things you may notice are a scratchy throat and coughing. The next thing you may witness are dead fish. Unfortunately, there has been a Red Tide bloom that has continued to plague the Pinellas coastline and kill fish for over three months now.
The good news is there are no signs of Red Tide in upper Tampa Bay where I’m located and the fishing is excellent. The snook, redfish and seatrout are plentiful and more than willing to take a bait.
So, what are you waiting for? Book your adventure now, and let’s go catch some fish!

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Craig Lahr
St. Petersburg, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

Now in the 3rd week of February water temps are above normal and temperatures are 10° above normal. It's been so warm that fish are confused and have been hard to find. Red fishing has been the most consistent but has taken a lot to find these bruisers speckled trout...

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Craig Lahr St. Petersburg, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

Now in the 3rd week of February water temps are above normal and temperatures are 10° above normal. It's been so warm that fish are confused and have been hard to find. Red fishing has been the most consistent but has taken a lot to find these bruisers speckled trout should be all over the back Waters but with temperatures so warm they are constantly moving and making it tough to locate them lots of moving. We've had some Spanish mackerel and Pompano show up which has helped with catching fish but things should get better towards March just through migration of species that will show up and bring in influx of our ensure species such as the redfish, trout, Snook. Weather is beautiful so come enjoy a beautiful day on the water

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Wade Osborne
Tampa, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

With temperatures in the mid-80s the last couple of weeks, it’s hard to believe it’s still winter. Especially, since it’s snowing in much of the country. Visitors are not only enjoying our spectacular weather, but have the opportunity to experience some of Tampa Bay’s outstanding fishing too. With water temperatures...

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Wade Osborne Tampa, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

With temperatures in the mid-80s the last couple of weeks, it’s hard to believe it’s still winter. Especially, since it’s snowing in much of the country. Visitors are not only enjoying our spectacular weather, but have the opportunity to experience some of Tampa Bay’s outstanding fishing too.
With water temperatures hovering in the mid-70s, the snook, redfish and seatrout fishing is excellent. There have been days lately where I ran two, four-hour charters back-to-back catching fish all day. This is good news for the upcoming Spring Break season, because I only look for the fishing to get better as spring approaches.
So, if you’re here vacationing or live here through the winter, now’s a good time to plan a fishing trip. Just pick up the phone and give me a call, I’d be happy to show you the adventure of a lifetime.

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Phil Pegley
Ruskin, Florida
Reported: 2 years ago

February fishing has been filled with busy days and bringing fish to the cleaning table. Mother nature has had the fan turned on, which has been mostly keeping us inshore, Which is been just fine with us. Our customers have been. Staying busy with a lot of action . I...

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Phil Pegley Ruskin, Florida Reported: 2 years ago

February fishing has been filled with busy days and bringing fish to the cleaning table.
Mother nature has had the fan turned on, which has been mostly keeping us inshore,
Which is been just fine with us. Our customers have been. Staying busy with a lot of action . I would say the fish of the month has been lots of keeper speckled trout. And once we've gotten our limit, the snook and redfish have also been very cooperative. We've been making a 15 mile run. To catch greenbacks oh yes and 15 miles back but it has been worth it. all three species are responding to live chumming and free lining. Here's a few February photos, tight lines until next time Captain Phil

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Craig Lahr
St. Petersburg, Florida
Reported: 2 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: 2 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: 2 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: 2 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: 2 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: 2 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: 2 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: 2 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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