Tampa Bay Fishing Report: Winter Snook Patterns, Fired-Up Redfish, and Strong Sheepshead & Cobia Action

By Captain Charlie Howell – Ebb & Flow Fishing Charters

Winter is arriving in Tampa Bay, and with the cooler water temperatures comes a noticeable shift in fish behavior across the bay. This week, anglers joining Ebb & Flow Fishing Charters have enjoyed steady action and a great variety of inshore species. From snook settling into their winter hideouts to aggressive redfish feeding across the flats, plus a promising push of sheepshead and cobia, the seasonal transition is shaping up to be an exciting one.

Snook Transitioning Into Winter Habitats

As temperatures drop, snook are moving into their typical winter zones, leaving open flats and mangrove edges behind in favor of warmer, more protected areas. Captain Charlie has been finding snook stacked in:

• Backcountry canals
• River mouths
• Deep basins with dark mud bottoms
• Residential docks and covered structure

Snook tend to slow down in cooler water, but the bite is still very much alive with the right approach. Downsized presentations—live shrimp, small soft plastics, and slow, subtle retrieves—have been key to consistent hook-ups.

Sunny afternoons have provided the best windows, with water warming just enough to spark short feeding bursts. The numbers may taper during winter, but quality fish are still being landed daily.

Redfish Holding Strong on the Flats

While snook settle into winter mode, redfish have been the star of the show. Captain Charlie reports excellent redfish activity across the flats, especially around:

• Oyster bars
• Shoreline troughs
• Mangrove islands
• Sandy potholes

Live bait has been producing well, but artificial anglers are also having success with gold spoons, paddle-tail swimbaits & Top water lures. Clear mornings with light winds have offered good sight-fishing opportunities, with slot and overslot redfish cruising in small groups.

This pattern is expected to stay strong throughout the season, making redfish a reliable target for winter trips.

Sheepshead Gathering in Strong Numbers

Winter means one thing for structure-oriented anglers: sheepshead season. With cooler temperatures settling in, sheepshead are showing up in increasing numbers around:

• Rock piles
• Bridge pilings
• Residential seawalls
• Artificial reefs
• Jetties

Their annual pre-spawn gathering has begun, and the bite has been excellent. Fiddler crabs and shrimp remain the go-to baits, especially on outgoing tides when fish feed hard along the structure.

These striped bait-stealers are only going to grow in both size and numbers as winter progresses.

Cobia Making Their Seasonal Arrival

A pleasant surprise this week has been a rise in cobia encounters around markers, rays, and deeper structure. Several fish have made unexpected appearances around the boat—always an adrenaline-boosting moment—and recent trips have produced multiple keeper-sized cobia.

Winter often provides a push of cobia into the bay, and with stable weather patterns moving in, this bite should continue to build. For anglers wanting to tangle with a powerful, hard-charging fish, now is a great opportunity.

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Call or Text Captain Charlie: (813) 598-1191