# Tampa bay information



## Chugg'n & plug'n (Jul 3, 2006)

i'm coming down, from virginia, for the pirate party. i'm looking on some info for fishing in or around tampa. probably won't be traveling more than 30 minutes from the action. i have plenty of tackle from 13' heavers to 7' light tackle. i don't know much about the area, but i know other parts of the atlantic side and its shark, jack, and cuda. so got any advice?


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

Skyway! Living on the Atlantic Coast, I have only fished it a couple of times, but I'm sure the guys from that area who fish it regularly will chime in.


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## 9iron (Jan 13, 2009)

sorry to post this in your thread but have been trying to post a new thread for 3 days and keep getting an error report.. have been in touch with the administrators here but so far nothing is working.. hoever seeing your post about tampa area , mine is very close t tha so hope it is ok to add mine here also.. thanks terry

will staying on the beach at indian rocks in mar... looking for advice as to what i should be fishing for , bait and rigs etc... i am right across the street from the narrows and have fished the inland for a few yrs now..pompano, whiting , trout , rays, ..but this yr want to spend more time in the surf.. i know of the piers and have fished redington, and fort de soto piers.. will bring 10' and 13 ' steelhead -salmon rods, and a 9 ' 8 wiehgt fly rod.. any and all suggestions welecome..
terry


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

the grouper fishing on the skyway is great this time of year. the only problem is the fwc has recently closed the season this year from feb 1 to march 31. there are a lot of false albacore this winter to be caught. we have been getting them regularly in the 10 to 14 pound range. gotta use flurocarbon leaders around here cause the water is very clear and their eyesight is very good.


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## Chugg'n & plug'n (Jul 3, 2006)

awesome! i've only caught falsies a few times with gotchas while fishing for spanish. what sort of tackle do you use? also, can't you c&r the grouper? if so, what sort of tackle do you use on them? i've never fished for them before


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## bbcroaker (Jan 6, 2005)

See a lot of people fishing the Gandy Bridge when ever I'm down there .


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

i think they closed the gandy pier. i'm not to sure.


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

Chugg'n & plug'n said:


> awesome! i've only caught falsies a few times with gotchas while fishing for spanish. what sort of tackle do you use? also, can't you c&r the grouper? if so, what sort of tackle do you use on them? i've never fished for them before



we use an 8' spinning outfit. nothing special. just need something that holds a fair amount of line maybe 250 yards of 15 or 200 yards of 20 or braid. 8 to 10 feet of 30 pound flurocarbon leader with a 3/0 circke hook. live spanish sardines work the best but threadfins and greenbacks work very well also. for grouper we use 50 or 65 braid and crank the drag as tight as you can and then a little tighter. need at least 250 to 300 yards because the big ones are at the end of the reefs. live pinfish seem to work the best. hook them in the tail and freeline them out to the rocks.


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## Chugg'n & plug'n (Jul 3, 2006)

that's great info, and just what i was looking for. thank!


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## JDHills (Mar 6, 2009)

Just an fyi update on the gandy guys..... It is open but I recommend you DO NOT go anywhere near it. Especially under it . I was spear fishing last month and got questioned by an officer ( cited for no diver's flag lol) and as he was writing my ticket he told me that it had not been really made public, but the structural integrity of the bridge was lacking at best. Be carefull guys !


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