We are finally seeing a much-needed break in the weather coming up this coming work week. It will still be a little bumpy through early weekend but calming down nicely by Sunday and looks great through the start and mid work week coming up.
Keep in mind, this weekend’s quarter moon means colder, slower-moving tides and reduced water flow, so the bite can be more selective and slow until fish get comfortable. The good news is a warming trend ahead, and as we move through the coming work week, tidal flow should steadily improve, setting the stage for stronger movement heading toward the new moon after next weekend.
Until then, focus on areas that naturally concentrate current: passes, points, bridge pilings, channel edges, and any structure that funnels bait. A quick reminder for our local fishery: with cold shock conditions present, please use extra care when targeting temperature-sensitive gamefish or just avoid them altogether during this cold period which is suggested for snook especially but also trout too as they are pretty delicate. I would suggest sheepshead while the water is so cool or maybe redfish.
NEAR SHORE
This past week we finally had a decent weather window to fish around this past mid work week. During that short window, the hogfish cooperated well, and we also saw a nice push of sea bass, plus steady lane snapper. Expect lanes to improve most when you slide a bit deeper too. We’re still seeing only a few mangroves mixed in nearshore, with the occasional red grouper showing up on the deeper end—live pinfish or larger dead baits are your best bet for keeper-size reds in this zone. For hogfish, keep it simple: a 4000–5000 size spinning reel, 20–30 lb braid, a long 10–15 ft 30 lb fluorocarbon leader, 1–2 oz knocker/egg sinker, and a 3/0–4/0 hook with live shrimp is a proven Tampa Bay nearshore recipe.
OFFSHORE
Offshore, we finally got a chance to stretch our legs this past Wednesday and it showed why those weather windows matter. We found huge numbers of red grouper on the potholes, ledges and rock piles around 120-140ft of water with plenty of quality fish in the mix. Gag grouper were fired up to the point of being hard to avoid, and sharks were extremely active—plan on heavier leaders, stout hooks, and quick resets if the toothy critters move in. Mangrove snapper were strong as well, plus a few solid heads-and-tails species to round out the box. On the surface, blackfin tuna were around, so keep a pitch rod ready with a small jig or live bait when you see marks or surface life.
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/
For more fishing reports, photos, videos and more check out Hubbard’s Marina on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tik Tok, Twitter, Pinterest or SnapChat 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-2-7-26/