May is Tampa Bay’s finest fishing month. The cobia migration gives way to the tarpon run as the first silver kings of the season arrive in the Gulf passes and begin staging under the Sunshine Skyway. Snook are in their most aggressive pre-spawn feeding mode and can be found at almost every productive piece of structure in the bay. The entire Tampa Bay system is alive with baitfish, and the fishing reflects it.
Inshore Fishing — May 2025
Tarpon — The Season Begins
The first tarpon of the season appear in Tampa Bay’s passes and under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in early May, with numbers building rapidly by mid-month. Fish average 60–120 pounds. The incoming night tide at the Skyway is the classic approach — anchor in 15–20 feet on the up-current side of a bridge piling, put out live crabs and large mullet, and wait for the unmistakable crash-and-run of a large tarpon. During daylight, the flats on the Gulf side of Egmont Key and Anna Maria Sound hold rolling schools of tarpon visible from boats and kayaks.
Live bait is essential for consistent May tarpon: large blue crabs (4–6 inches) on a 7/0 circle hook are the top producer. Live mullet (6–10 inches) is a close second. Free-line both baits with no additional weight — let the bait swim naturally in the current. 80 lb monofilament leader is the minimum; most Tampa Bay tarpon guides use 100 lb.
Snook — Pre-Spawn Blitz
May snook in Tampa Bay are in full pre-spawn feeding mode and among the most aggressive they’ll be all year. Dawn topwater fishing along the Cockroach Bay shoreline, Hillsborough Bay flats, and Terra Ceia mangroves produces the most exciting surface strikes of the season. The pattern is simple but requires early arrival: position along a mangrove edge before first light, begin working topwater lures (Heddon Super Spook, MirrOlure Top Dog) parallel to the shoreline, and hold on when the sun first hits the water. The bite window is often 30–45 minutes at peak intensity.
Offshore Fishing — May 2025
King mackerel are running strong along the nearshore reefs in May — fish in the 15–30 pound range are common at the Egmont Key artificial reef, the Skyway Reef, and the nearshore hard bottom in 30–60 feet. Slow-trolling live sardines at 3–5 knots along the reef lines produces consistently. Gag grouper season is open on nearshore ledges. Spanish mackerel are abundant throughout.
Top Techniques — May
1. Night tarpon at the Skyway: Use a 6-pack anchor rig to hold position in 15–20 feet on the incoming tide. Deploy two rods: one with a live large crab on a 7/0 circle, one with a live mullet on 8/0 circle. The Skyway tarpon bite peaks midnight to 4am on the incoming tide during the new and full moon periods in May.
2. Snook topwater at dawn: Use a spinning rod with 20 lb braid to 30 lb fluorocarbon. Cast a Super Spook Jr. parallel to mangrove shorelines and walk it steadily with a consistent side-to-side action. Don’t stop the lure when you see a wake behind it — keep walking; hesitating often causes the fish to abort the strike.
3. Live pilchard fishing for mixed species: Catch live pilchards (scaled sardines) with a 6–8 foot circular cast net over structure at the passes at dawn. Deploy them under a popping cork at 3–4 feet depth near bridge structure, dock pilings, or along the grass edge — this technique produces snook, seatrout, jack crevalle, and occasionally tarpon.
Insider Tips
Tarpon bite best on the incoming tide. The most consistent Skyway tarpon bite occurs during the first 3 hours of the incoming tide, specifically from midnight to dawn during the spring moon cycles. Fish that have been inactive during slack tide become aggressive as current accelerates and sweeps bait toward bridge structure.
Use a light for live crab presentation at night. Attach a small submersible light (green LED) to your anchor line — it attracts bait which attracts tarpon in the current. Many Tampa Bay tarpon guides swear by this simple addition to their night setup.
Looking Ahead to June
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