Tampa Bay is in full late-May tarpon mode this week. The Skyway Bridge fishery is at its annual peak, snook are pushed to the beaches for their summer pattern, and the trout fishing has settled into the deeper grass flats. Light west winds for most of the week have kept conditions cooperative.
Tarpon — Skyway Peak
The Skyway Bridge fishery is at its yearly headline. Schools of tarpon ranging from 80 to 180 pounds are stacked at the main span pilings on the falling tide. The classic approach — anchor up-current of the pilings, set a live crab or pass crab on a 7/0 circle hook with a 4-foot 80 to 100-lb fluoro leader, let the bait drift naturally into the structure — continues to produce daily hook-ups. The Sunshine Skyway State Park areas (Pinellas and Manatee sides) both have access for kayak and small-boat tarpon anglers fishing the same pattern.
Egmont Key and the Sunshine Skyway approach channels are also holding migrating fish. Sight casting to rolling fish in the dawn windows is producing hookups for anglers with the patience to run and look.
Inshore — Snook on the Beach, Trout on the Flats
Snook have completed their move to the beach pattern. From Anna Maria Island through Pass-a-Grille and up to Treasure Island, fish are working the trough at first light. Walking topwater plugs (Spook Jr., Skitter Walk) in white or bone are producing the explosive surface strikes that define this fishery in late May. The catch-and-release season for snook is in effect (verify FWC dates) and circle hooks are required when using bait.
Seatrout have settled into the deeper grass flats in 4-6 feet of water in upper Tampa Bay and around the Weedon Island flats. Live shrimp under a popping cork or 3-inch soft plastics on a 1/4 oz jighead in white or chartreuse are producing limits when found. Look for clean grass with sand pockets.
Redfish continue on the mangrove shorelines through the upper bay. Cut bait (mullet, ladyfish) on a 3/0 circle hook with 25 lb fluoro is producing on incoming tides. Sight casting to schools pushing across the flats early is the more visual option.
Offshore — Kingfish, Snapper Opener Approaching
The kingfish bite has been steady on the artificial reefs and around the navigation buoys 8-15 miles offshore. Live blue runners and threadfin herring on stinger rigs are producing fish in the 20-40 lb class. A few smoker kings (50+ lbs) have been caught around the Tampa Steel Wreck and the Madison-Swanson area.
Mangrove snapper limits are coming on the inshore patch reefs and around the bridge pilings. The federal red snapper season opener (June 1 in Gulf federal waters — verify NOAA dates) has the offshore fleet preparing for the big runs starting next weekend.
A few cobia continue to be caught around the markers and on the deeper reefs. Big eyes on a calm morning will find sunning fish that haven’t pushed north yet.
What’s Ahead
The new moon is June 5 — expect a strong tarpon push and an energized bite cycle. Red snapper opens in Gulf federal waters June 1, which will shift the offshore charter fleet’s focus dramatically. Water temperatures are settling into the upper 80s through the bay.
For this weekend: Skyway tarpon at first light on the falling tide, beach snook at dawn and dusk, trout on the deep grass mid-day.
Tight lines.