Tampa Bay October 13 Fishing Report
Hello from Anna Maria. Sorry it's been so long since my last report but I usually take my vacation around this time of year and have been away for awhile. Anyway, as I have said many times before in my fishing reports, October is one of my very favorites time of year to fish. The Water temp is in that perfect zone, mid 70's, which seems to be prime temp for most of our favorite species we fish for around here. Not only is the fishing great but there is a lot less boats on the water. A lot of the serious outdoorsmen are hunting and the snowbirds aren't here yet, so we get a lot of unmolested fish all to ourselves this time of year. Not to mention the weather couldn't be nicer, low humidity with perfect temperature.
Inshore the bait is very thick and as usual for this time of year the Snook, Redfish and Trout are on fire. Sometimes the action is as fast as one can redbait their hook. Even on the slower days the action is fast enough to keep anglers excited and busy. Snook fishing is very consistent; most of them are 22 to 27 inches long with a few nice trophies approaching 40 inches. Keepers in the slot are few and far between but that's just how it is this day and age, they are still our most popular inshore fish to catch. The Redfish bite is great as well, not as consistent as Snook because the large schools roam this time of year so when you are on them you are killing them and when you're not it's time to move. The Reds have been ranging in sizes from 17 to 33 inches, many of which fall in the 18 to 27 inch slot range. Trout fishing is also very consistent. Most range between 12 and 21 inches with all sizes, the action is fast and sometimes we have to weed through a lot of small ones to fill the ice box.
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Offshore the fishing is equally good and should be getting better as the water cools. The big news is the Kings have started moving in thick. Kings up to 30 pounds have started biting, in a few more days the larger schools should be moving in full force. Snapper have been the primary target lately for eating fish along with lots of catch and release Grouper mixed in. The Mackerel and Tunny are thick for those of you who want fast action with a good fight and some extra fish for the cooler. There are also a few Permit around and Cobia as a nice bonus.
It's October, really that's all I need to say because it's one of the best months of the whole year around here for fishing.
I hope you have enjoyed my report. Enjoy our beautiful fall weather.
Capt. Matt Ercoli
941-447-9888
www.captainmatt.com
www.tarponfish.com
