# Tampa Bay question



## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

This is late, but I’m heading down to Tampa tomorrow for work and will be staying all week near the Tampa side of the Skyway bridge, (Rocky Point Island), the bridge where 275 crosses Tampa Bay. Does anyone know the area and have any suggestions for any Spots to fish from in the evenings that a North Florida guy might scratch snook off his bucket list? I’ve fished for them a few times, but never put my hands on one, I’m assuming swim baits, yozuri type jerk baits, a vudu shrimp, maybe a buck tail jig, any other suggestions would be great. Thanks.


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## specktackler57 (May 15, 2011)

Skyline bridge pier is a great spot. You can drive on and they catch almost everything. I’ve fishing it twice. Mangrove snapper, grouper, king Mack, trout, flounder, ect. Bait shop is on the bridge. Good luck.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Talk to this guy. *MackMan*


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

the best source of information for tampa area is harbison on here. he runs a charter out of st. johns pass. i think it's called "hubbards marina"?
jack


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

Boat-Dude said:


> Talk to this guy. *MackMan*


I was kind of hoping he’d chime in


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

jack2 said:


> the best source of information for tampa area is harbison on here. he runs a charter out of st. johns pass. i think it's called "hubbards marina"?
> jack


Not really looking for grey snapper


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## silverking (Feb 11, 2010)

Fort De Soto State Park. I caught my winning snook in the Tampa All-Release tournament there years ago. You can walk along the beach or wade the backside. DOA BaitBusters in black/gold, red head/white or silver/green back. A Rapala Skitter Walk or Heddon Super Spook or CAL flukes in glow or pearl are more good choices. You can fish 15- to 20-pound line but add a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader. Snook gill plates are very sharp. Another location would be the park across De Soto along the 275 corridor before the Skyway Bridge. Plenty of places to park and wade. 

By the way, Harbison is an outdoor writer, not a charter captain. He writes promo stuff for the marina.


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

silverking said:


> Fort De Soto State Park. I caught my winning snook in the Tampa All-Release tournament there years ago. You can walk along the beach or wade the backside. DOA BaitBusters in black/gold, red head/white or silver/green back. A Rapala Skitter Walk or Heddon Super Spook or CAL flukes in glow or pearl are more good choices. You can fish 15- to 20-pound line but add a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader. Snook gill plates are very sharp. Another location would be the park across De Soto along the 275 corridor before the Skyway Bridge. Plenty of places to park and wade.
> 
> By the way, Harbison is an outdoor writer, not a charter captain. He writes promo stuff for the marina.


That’s good stuff, Silverking, thanks! If I manage to catch anything I’ll post it here.


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## silverking (Feb 11, 2010)

FYI, snook are strictly catch and release normally through the summer spawning months but the Tampa Bay area is C&R right now for snook, reds and trout due to red tide.

Good luck and catch 'em up! They are a fantastic game fish.


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## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

jack2 said:


> the best source of information for tampa area is harbison on here. he runs a charter out of st. johns pass. i think it's called "hubbards marina"?
> jack


Now that’s some funny shit right there.


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Snook are some of my favorite catches when we are in the Keys. Powerful, great jumps, and usually bite well when you find them. We fish with Capt. Clyde Upchurch out of Bud & Marys in Islamorada. It's about 6 hours from Tampa, but if you had an extra day.......


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

hjorgan said:


> Snook are some of my favorite catches when we are in the Keys. Powerful, great jumps, and usually bite well when you find them. We fish with Capt. Clyde Upchurch out of Bud & Marys in Islamorada. It's about 6 hours from Tampa, but if you had an extra day.......


All I’m going to have is evenings from 5pm until…and the weather has been pretty bad so far, it’s pouring rain right now. We’ll see how it goes. Thanks for all the responses.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

DLo said:


> All I’m going to have is evenings from 5pm until…and the weather has been pretty bad so far, it’s pouring rain right now. We’ll see how it goes. Thanks for all the responses.


is the red tide affecting things down there?


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

You know the red tide didn’t even occure to me, but yeah, it’s all on the coast and in lower Tampa Bay, I don’t think I’ll make the drive out there, I’ll just bump around the area in in and see what I see. I hit a couple sea walls this afternoon in a break in the rain and threw a small yozuri twitch bait to see what was going on and not much, caught a puffer and that’s all I saw, didn’t really even see some bait, just dead.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

DLo said:


> You know the red tide didn’t even occure to me, but yeah, it’s all on the coast and in lower Tampa Bay, I don’t think I’ll make the drive out there, I’ll just bump around the area in in and see what I see. I hit a couple sea walls this afternoon in a break in the rain and threw a small yozuri twitch bait to see what was going on and not much, caught a puffer and that’s all I saw, didn’t really even see some bait, just dead.


That’s suck hope you can find some action down there


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

Went out looking this afternoon and saw almost nothing until dusk when I jumped a couple baby tarpon near some mangrove trees, short lived, but good fun.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

DLo said:


> Went out looking this afternoon and saw almost nothing until dusk when I jumped a couple baby tarpon near some mangrove trees, short lived, but good fun.


I would love to be down there I would probably try to talk you in to calling in and go in search of some fish thought!


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

jwilson1978 said:


> I would love to be down there I would probably try to talk you in to calling in and go in search of some fish thought!


That would be great, but work must be done.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

DLo said:


> That would be great, but work must be done.


Understand that mabe you can get a good snook or tarpon or something good before you drag up!


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Skyline bridge at night, close to the start by shore. Snook will lay in the dark under the new bridge waiting to ambush bait. Throw a topwater like a Zara Spool and walk the dog. Watch out for tarpon though...they like Skyline, too.


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