NEAR SHORE
Near shore fishing in 40 to 100 feet is offering a classic mixed bag. Hogfish are chewing best on live shrimp with lighter tackle—run a long 10 to 15 foot fluorocarbon leader (around 30 lb), a 3/0 to 4/0 hook, and 1 to 2 oz of weight, then work hard-bottom edges and smaller ledges patiently. The hogfish action is best around 40ft to around 70ftt of water typically. You can get them deeper too, but as you get deeper theres many more aggressive fish competing for your live shrimp on lighter tackle making targeting and catching hogfish consistently a bit more challenging. Lane snapper are steady as you slide deeper, especially 60 to 90 feet and beyond; squid, shrimp, and small chunks of threadfin will all produce, with larger lanes often preferring live shrimp or threadfin pieces. Mangrove snapper are mixed in and can be finicky—downsizing hooks and leader often turns lookers into biters. Most often, the mangrove action gets better and better as you work deeper near shore and into the offshore waters! Red grouper are possible in the deeper near shore zone, but your best chance is bigger baits on stronger leader around hard bottom and ledges. They seem best starting around 70-80ft near shore into the shallow offshore waters up to around 140ft of water.
OFFSHORE
Offshore, the lineup stays strong for deep sea fishing out of Hubbard’s Marina. Red snapper remain a major player when conditions allow—bigger baits like bonita strips, whole squid, or quality live bait help target better fish. We are seeing them most on the 12 hour extreme or 39 hour trips fishing around 140ft and beyond. Red grouper continue to cooperate on hard bottom, potholes, and ledges; bring a variety of larger dead baits and solid live baits to match what the fish want. Mangrove snapper fishing is also producing, especially on cut threadfin with a double-snell rig, while yellowtail snapper show well on lighter tackle with small squid strips or threadfin chunks, particularly around dawn, dusk, and night windows. Mutton snapper are a welcome bonus on live baits, and pelagic action—kingfish, blackfin tuna, and the occasional wahoo—can pop up any day offshore, so keep a pitch rod ready when bait schools show.
Don’t forget, that we have some great videos on our fishing tips and tricks page here to show you how to target and rig for almost any species-> https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/fishing-tips/
TERMS OF REFERENCE-
INSHORE – from the back bays out to the bridges and including right on the beaches
NEAR SHORE – From the beaches out to twenty miles, or up to 100ft of water
OFFSHORE – from twenty miles or 100ft and beyond
For more fishing reports, photos, videos and more check out Hubbard’s Marina on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tik Tok, Twitter, Pinterest or Snap Chat just simply search @HubbardsMarina and do not forget our family motto, “If You’re too busy to go fishing, You’re just too busy!” Thanks for reading and checking out our report – Capt Dylan Hubbard, Hubbard’s Marina – Call or Txt me anytime at (727)393-1947 | https://HubbardsMarina.com
To read the full report, click here: https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/hubbards-marina-fishing-report-12-20-25/