Tampa Bay Summer Fishing Conditions

It’s hot, it’s humid, and as I write this, I can see out of my window, the thunderheads building towards Tampa as the east coast sea breeze pushes across the state. All of  these things mean one thing, it's summer in Florida. The tarpon have been doing their yearly migration and many post-spawn fish are already showing up in their late summer and fall feeding locations. This opens up new areas to fish other than right along the beach with the masses and if timed right, you may be rewarded with some heavy numbers of happy rolling fish eager to eat a fly. With the recent lack of rain leaving the water extra clear, the beach snook fishing has been as good as it gets. Lots of schools of males and the occasional group of extra large females have been on the prowl. The fall time bait has yet to show up which means most fish are hungry and overall pretty cooperative. I’ve been throwing smaller than average white EP baitfish patterns with plenty of luck.

Looking to the near future and the tide charts, lining up a negative tide with a low light setting can be the ticket for tailing redfish. While it’s not the most common fish to target in the middle or late summer, it's something I look forward to every year. Nothing beats an evening glass off and dozens of redfish tails waving at you as the fish scour the bottom for crabs and crustaceans. Plenty of evening trips available this time of year and it can be a great way to beat the heat. Just look out for those angry afternoon storms…