
A snowbird from just east of the Big Apple tackles the Big Guava.
Last winter I took a mini vacation to Tampa to visit some long-time friends. It was going to be a quick stopover in the Tampa region to golf, and hopefully take in a little fishing. I had never fished the Tampa area but had heard from a lot of anglers that it was golden, and offered a lot of opportunities. Even good buddy Alberto Knie ranted and raved about Tampa, even though he fishes south towards Fort Myers and all the way to the Florida Keys mostly.
What I found out in my short stay-over was the opportunity exists for you to fly in on Friday morning, get in on some unbelievable action by boat and pier, and still have time for a day of lying on the beach, all during the colder Northeast January through March months, and beyond.
And, if you want to extend your stay, there are 39 and 44-hour marathon trips too. Beat the fever, head to Tampa this winter!

The Party Boat Option
For the best and easiest option, head over to Hubbard’s Marina and speak with the staff, or Dylan Hubbard himself. Hubbard’s offers a wide array of trips. When I was there, my buddy Bob Sagliocca and I opted for the shorter 5-hour trip, which entails about 3 hours of fishing. On the day Bob and I had non-stop action on smaller, but feisty sea bass, hogfish, puffers (blowfish) and grey snapper. And, one angler had a fat 20-inch fluke! This trip is perfect for family and anglers on limited time. Hubbard’s offers other trips as well, which cater to heartier anglers, or ones looking to really max out their time.
The next trip offered is a 10-hour trip, which is farther out where the fish are bigger. This trip is 15 to 25 miles offshore, with water between 60 and 100 feet. Anglers will be targeting grey snapper, porgies, sea bass, hogfish, red grouper, gag grouper, scamp grouper and mangrove snapper. Later in the winter months, mahi, macs and kingfish will show up.

There are a couple of 12-hour trips to choose from, the first being a 12-hour night trip where anglers are primarily targeting large mangrove snappers, with plenty of vermillion snapper, porgies, and yellow tail snapper being caught as well. The second 12-hour trip is the “Extreme” which is aboard the Flying Hub 2. This is a 16 angler max trip that gets to the fishing grounds in under 2 hours targeting the bigger fish. All tackle is available to rent, or you could bring your own. This is also a trip where anglers use slow-pitch jigs, which as we all know brings on vicious bites. If you opt for your own tackle, Dylan suggests a size 6/0 reel with 80-pound test, 6- to 8-ounce lead and 7/0 to 8/0 hooks. Also, a larger reel with 100-pound test and 125-pound leader for the truly monster amberjack and big gags.
The last two trips may be better suited for a longer stay as they are 39 and 44-hour marathons. These trips are 100 to 150 miles offshore to the Middle Grounds, Elbow and surrounding Gulf of Mexico locations. The action is in the 120- to 250-foot depths, targeting gag grouper, red grouper, scamp grouper, amberjack, red snapper, mangrove snapper, mutton snapper, cubera snapper, hogfish, king mackerel, mahi, wahoo and even blackfin tuna.

Hit the Skyway Pier
LOCAL INTEL |
Skyway Pier is a 4-mile long fishing pier located at 4905 34th St. South #5000 in St. Petersburg FL. The pier is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the entry fee is $4 per vehicle, plus $4 per adult. For more information call 727-865-0668.
Be sure to check out the Skyway Misfits at facebook.com/groups/skywaymisfits. Hubbard’s Marina is located at 170 Boardwalk Pl E in Madeira Beach, FL. Their toll-free number is 800-755-0677, and you might talk to Capt. Dylan Hubbard himself or a member of his capable staff. You can find Hubbard’s Marina online at hubbardsmarina.com or send an email to info@HubbardsMarina.com Don’t forget you’ll need a recreational fishing license to fish in Florida; they are available for the day, a week or a full season, and they’re relatively easy to secure by visiting GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or by calling toll-free 888-FISH-FLORIDA (888-347-4356). |
There are two world class fishing piers within 20 to 30 minutes of Tampa International Airport (TPA), the first one located in Clearwater Beach – Pier 60. Pier 60 offers anglers a 1,080-foot fishing pier that juts out into the Gulf of Mexico. The Pier 60 bait house offers bait, fishing tackle, T-shirts, souvenirs, drinks and snacks, as well as rental equipment. After talking with a few employees at the shop, I realized right away they knew what they were talking about. In fact, I heard one tell an angler the bite was off the last few days but should bounce back the coming week. To me, honesty is equally as important. The staff will point you in the right direction on both what to target, and what to use for the best results. From January through March, anglers can expect to find sheepshead, sea trout, whiting, mackerel, kingfish, squid and many others.
The second pier option is the Skyway Fishing Pier, the longest in the world. The pier offers anglers over 4 miles of pier length, with structure abound to attract a wide array of species. The pier is located on the north and south sides at the mouth of Tampa Bay, making it the prime waterway for fish to come in to the bay from the Gulf. What is really great about the pier is that you drive on, then park wherever you decide to fish. There is ample parking, making it an easy feat even if you decide to bring a cast net and live well to net your own bait.
Anglers have caught huge goliath grouper and tarpon from May through December, plus, grouper, black sea bass, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, cobia, sheepshead, mangrove snapper, grunts, sharks, lane snapper, flounder and more. It is literally an aquarium of species.
In speaking with Jay Cross of “Skyway Misfits,” one off the largest groups that fish the pier, Jay said an angler’s best bet in the winter months (January through April) will be Spanish mackeral, sheepshead, cobia, red snapper and king mackerel.

Grouper, Macs & Snaps
If you have the Navionics Boating App, I urge you to take a look at the rock pile formations at this pier; it is astounding. These rock piles hold bait year round, and as grouper begin heading in, it is one of the hottest locations to get in on the action. For grouper fans, find rock piles, then free line pinfish. Grouper season is closed in the winter, but you can still catch and release them.
For Spanish mackerel, typical lures that we use in the Northeast will also work, but again, most anglers I saw fishing for them were using cut or live bait. On the terminal end, a 30-pound leader and 2/0 long shank hook is best. Free line the bait for solid results.
On the snapper end, the bait is the same, but use a 2/0 hook, 2-ounce sinker of your choice and fish the rock piles or under the piers.

Tackle for the Skyway Pier is not like your typical northern pier fishing adventure. If you are targeting the smaller species, then a 7- to 8-foot conventional or spinning gear can work fine, but the structure and size of some of the fish make for larger and heavier tackle most days. An 8- to 10-foot conventional, spooled with 60-pound or higher line on a size 70 reel are not uncommon. In fact, when tarpon show, 125-pound braid and 100- pound leader is the norm.
On the bait front, you can buy bait (live shrimp, frozen squid, frozen mullet, sardines and shrimp) at the tackle shop, which is open 24 hours a day. When I was there, most anglers were tossing cast nets for live bait, with a fair amount of anglers using Sabiki rigs to catch their bait. The Sabiki works fine and you can catch them as you use them, or catch a bunch, then fish.
If you want a quick vacation and are on a limited time slot, check out the Tampa Bay area, you will not be disappointed.
The author was managing editor of the Long Island, Metro New York edition of The Fisherman from 1994 to 2005 before taking on the role of senior field editor. He has written hundreds of Fisherman articles covering inshore saltwater, surf and freshwater fishing, and is author of “Fishing the Long Island Coast”.
