St. Petersburg Fishing Charters & Guides

St. Petersburg Fishing Charters

With Tampa Bay on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, St. Petersburg is a fishing Mecca. The peninsula is known far and wide for its Spanish Mackerel. Spanish Mackerel do not get as big as their cousins the king mackerel and the cero mackerel, but they make up for that by being plentiful, easy to catch and running from inshore to offshore. Spanish are easily identified if you know what to look for. They have an iridescent blue-green back and the yellow spots running the length of their body. The yellow spots are not always an indicator as small kings and ceros can have the same. Spanish mackerel move from offshore to the beaches depending on the water temperatures. As a general rule, warmer waters means they are closer to the shore. Spanish mackerel are top predators and eagerly attack anything they can eat. Anglers who know use black swivels, instead of chrome, because the mackerels will attack the swivel. If you are throwing artificial lures, get something shiny. Silver is best; silver spoons are a top producer. Colorful jigs, big grubs and crank baits also work well. The fly fishing set needs to use baitfish imitators. Saltwater-size Joe Brooks Blonde flies are a top producer. Other fly patterns that produce regularly are the Clouser Minnow, Deceiver and bright poppers. Any streamer pattern with some mylar tied into it will also draw strikes. For live bait choose fingerling mullet, small pinfish and glass minnows. Live and dead shrimp and squid will also draw strikes. A 2/0 or 1/0 circle hook is big enough for these fish. Light to medium fishing rods and reels are ideal. Spanish have sharp teeth. If they keep cutting your fluorocarbon leaders, switch to coated wire leaders. The best way to find Spanish mackerel is to find diving seabirds. When gulls and other birds and hammering the surface, that is a sure indicator that something is driving a school of baitfish to the surface. Depending on the location, it could be Spanish mackerel, kings, wahoo, dolphin, tuna or something else. That is part of the fun of fishing out of St. Petersburg. Until you get the fish to the boat, you don’t know exactly what you have on the line.

St. Petersburg Offshore Fishing

Offshore fishing out of St. Pete is excellent. What you can catch depends on the time of year, but something is always biting. The offshore reefs have good schools of grouper, amberjack, hogfish and triggerfish. Grouper and amberjack are caught with live, fresh and frozen baits dropped right down on the reef. Amberjacks also fall victim to big jigging spoons. Many anglers like electric reels because it takes a lot of the work out of hauling a big spoon to the surface over and over. Groupers and the amberjacks are also caught trolling past structure. Offshore is ground zero for big king mackerel, wahoo, mahi mahi, blackfin tuna and sailfish. These fish are constantly on the move; anglers have to look for them. The best way to find them is to look for a commotion on the surface. Baitfish jumping at the surface mean something is attacking them from underneath. Silver lures, big flashy bucktail jigs with or without a cigar minnow and live bait cast into the frenzy will connect you with something. You can also troll dusters tipped with a ballyhoo or cigar minnow. Trolling is an excellent way to find these fish if you don't see surface activity. If saltwater fish had a professional wrestling league, the cobia would be the world champion. These fighting fish range from offshore to nearshore. They like structure, moving from place to place in search of their next meal. They can be found at the surface or the bottom, depending on where the cover is. Because these are curious fish that run in packs, if you hook one, the captain will often keep it in the water while another angler on the boat tries to connect with a different one.

St. Petersburg Inshore Fishing

With nearly 600 miles of coastline, the St. Pete region accounts for a lot of Florida's total coastline. What this means is inshore and beach fishing here is amazing. The snook, redfish, speckled trout fishing ranges from superior to good depending on the time of year. All three eagerly take jigs and grubs fished with or without a popping cork. These corks are a good idea when the water is muddy. Fish can hone in on the sound and the vibrations the cork makes. You can also rig shrimp and live bait under the cork. St. Petersburg Fishing Guides know what is biting and when. It never gets cold in St. Pete, but it can be chilly in the depths of winter. That will make some fish move offshore, while others stay right where they are. Need more information? Check the state regulations page for seasons and follow the links for fishing tips.

Book a St. Petersburg Fishing Charter

St. Petersburg is a favorite fishing destination for many anglers. Whether you are a novice angler or a skilled one, book today with a Professional Captain. Check out all St. Petersburg fishing charters here.