The Region
When it comes to inshore destinations in FL, Tampa should be at the top of any list. Nestled in amongst several large bay’s, including Tampa Bay, it has endless opportunities and access for the kayak angler and boater alike. When fishing in Tampa you are greeted with the big 4 when it comes to species. Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, and Speckled Trout. On our trip we experienced tough conditions, but with so many possibilities in the area, it was still easy to find a location to hit the water.
The Fishing
With all the major inshore species at your fingertips, it is no surprise that the fishing can be amazing. On this trip, we choose to target all the above, but found that either through opportunity or chance, the Snook were most ready to eat. The weather had pushed most of the water off the flats, so we found refuge in the creeks that were a bit deeper and held water even with the super low tide. Low water equals less cover so armed with this knowledge we began targeting the boat docks. These docks would provide both refuge and ambush points for the target species.
My Setup:
It quickly became clear that skipping baits under the docks would be key to our success on the water. To do this I choose my Rainshadow Judge CB Blank. It is a 7’ medium rod with a moderate/fast action. This allowed me to skip under the docks easily but have plenty of backbone to pull the fish out and away from the structure. I paired that with a Shimano Vanford 3000 series spinning reel spooled with Stealth Grey 20lb Seaguar Smackdown and tipped with about 2’ of 20lb Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon leader. The fish seemed to be keyed in on lighter colored lures so for my bait I choose the 4” Z-Man Scented Paddlerz in pearl white. I rigged this on a 1/4oz Z-Man Trout Eye jig head. This made it easy to skip under the docks and allowed the bait to get down into the strike zone quickly.
Check out the videos we did on location fishing in Tampa Florida!
