Tampa Bay Florida Offshore Fishing Charters

Tampa Bay offshore fishing charters are what you look for when you want some thrill, fun, and the extra satisfaction that comes with deep sea fishing.

Calling on all anglers looking for an extreme offshore fishing experience in the most fish-rich 1000 square miles of water in all of Florida. The deep blue offshore waters of West Florida, Tampa Bay, to be specific, are where you need to set your sights on for your next offshore fishing adventure.

What’s The Reason Behind Tampa Bay’s Magic?

Tampa Bay is an estuary, the meeting point of the Bay’s fresh, fertile water with the open sea waters in the Gulf of Mexico. This mixture forms brackish waters and makes for a conducive environment that suits underwater life, such as mangroves and various types of seagrass.

Plenty of marine plantation attracts significant populations of several types of fish, which in turn pulls in even bigger fish that prey and feed on small fish and crustaceans. These conditions, coupled with more days of calm seas than the rest of Florida, are the main reasons Tampa Bay is known as the deep sea fishing capital of the world.

And this is where custom charters come in...

Tampa Bay Florida Offshore Fishing Charters know these qualities of the Bay all too well and like to ride the wave to the fullest by offering custom charter packages to anglers. Bring your family or fishing pals down to Tampa Bay, Florida, any time of the year, and we guarantee you that there’s going to be an offshore fishing charter available to jump on. That’s because Tampa Bay has the best climate for offshore saltwater fishing charters throughout the year; come rain or shine. Just request the Tampa Bay fishing calendar and plan what fish to catch and what fishing spots to explore. Leave the rest to us.

We have various fishing charters that range from a couple of hours’ worth of fishing trips to half or full-day trips for deep sea demersal types of fish that require more fishing effort for a little bit longer to bag. Some charters can last well over a day. Book a 2-3-day offshore fishing charter and be out at sea for a day and nighttime fishing experience like never before.

And that’s not all.

Our offshore fishing charters will take you from the mainlands of St. Pete and Clearwater right into the heart of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as its famous wrecks and reefs. The big fish roam the offshore waters of Tampa Bay well over 20-30 miles from the coastline. You can venture out on 10 or 12-hour offshore fishing trips that’ll take you up to 100 miles off the Tampa Bay, Florida coast, to chase after pelagic trophies in the summer. Expect to catch Mahi Mahi, Sailfish, Barracuda, Wahoo, and King Mackerel at these depths.

If you want to reel in a variety of Snappers and Groupers, you’ll have to travel farther into even deeper waters where demersal layers have a structure fit to house larger Snappers and monster Groupers. It’s the same structure that’ll present you the opportunity to deep drop and bottom fish Flounders, Sheepshead, Grunts, Porgy, and Seabass.

Anglers visiting the state-accredited Tampa Bay, Florida, offshore fishing zones need to be aware of the catch and release policy for certain types of fish species at different times of the year. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission usually has an up-to-date list of fish species that’re closed to harvest during certain months of the year. You might want to check that out on their website or inquire with your Tampa Bay Florida Offshore Fishing Charter provider to avoid any disappointments.

Other than that, go on and place that offshore fishing charter booking call for your next jaw-dropping deep sea fishing expedition.

Why Choose Tampa Bay for Your Next Offshore Fishing Charter

Amazing Fishing

Tampa Bay is the fishing capital of the world for both nearshore and offshore fishing excursions. The Bay has bays within it and a 1,000 Square mile fishing zone that connects to the larger Gulf of Mexico. It’s geologically built for fishing, which makes sense considering that the Tampa Bay, Florida, region has multiple offshore fishing charters and more than enough fishing room and spots to accommodate them all.

Amazing fishing spots, check. Awesome year-round weather for fishing, check. Excellent Tampa Bay Florida Fishing Charters, check. With all its natural endowments, coupled with a supporting fishing regulatory framework, Tampa Bay, Florida, takes the crown for one of the top offshore fishing destinations of all time.

Great Weather

It must be a Florida thing because most folks visiting or moving states to Florida have amazing weather as their number reason for settling on Florida. And we feel them because Tampa Bay, Florida, and the larger Florida area have some of the best weather in all of the United States. In fact, we dare you to name a place with better weather conditions for outdoor activities, let alone fishing, than Tampa Bay, Florida. No wonder our offshore fishing calendar runs 12 months a year, with very few interruptions, if any.

Great Variety of Fish

Tampa Bay rides on two prominent factors that make its offshore fishing scene vibrant. One is that the Bay has unique geological features that support rich marine life, including close to 70% of fish species on the coast of Florida. The second reason is that the Tampa Bay, Florida fish varieties fall in different, large families of fish, making the fish selection for anglers that much bigger. For instance, the Mackerel, Snapper, Grouper, and Tuna families of fish species have various types of fish that reside in the Tampa Bay offshore waters. For example, when chasing Snappers, anglers can choose to hunt Red Snappers, Mangrove Snappers, and Lane Snappers, to mention a few.

Experience Charter Fleet

Some Tampa Bay Florida Offshore Charters have years of experience deep dropping, trolling, and chumming fish in the offshores of Tampa Bay. We’re talking about up to 25, 30, and sometimes even more years of hands-on offshore fishing expertise out in the deep sea. There’s probably no fish swimming the Tampa Bay offshore waters, no deep sea fishing style, or weather conditions that we haven’t come across.

We’ve got boats to fish the jetties, backcountry and potholes of the inshores, and mega charter boats running on some major horsepower to carry heavy fishing gear, equipment, and sizeable crews of anglers. Trust us; we’ve got some skin in the game.

Fish to Catch while Offshore Fishing in Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay has a lot of fish species to explore regardless of your level of fishing skills. You’ll enjoy trapping, tackling, and bagging either of the following catches on your Tampa Bay Florida Offshore Fishing Charters:

Flounder

They’ve got a flat appearance and swim in the deepest parts of the oceans of the world. In Tampa Bay, Florida, anglers have a chance to run into this weird-looking fish while bottom fishing the deepest parts of the Tampa Bay estuary or while deep dropping further out in the demersal structure of the Gulf of Mexico.

Sea bass

The Sea bass is quite different from its White bass and Striped bass cousins in that it only lives in deep ocean waters. Anglers down at Tampa Bay have the entire western Atlantic deep ocean landscape between Florida and Cape Cod to traverse in search of Sea bass.

Porgy

Let us introduce you to one of the carnivorous fish that you’ll encounter in the offshore waters of Tampa, Bay, Florida. Its scales can range from having blue spots to being silverish-red in color. Porgy are bottom-dwelling and cruise the demersal layers of the Atlantic as they search for baitfish to grind with their molar-like teeth.

Sheepshead

Ever seen a fish with human-like teeth? Well, you’ll have a front-row seat to observe one this summer when you go offshore fishing in Tampa Bay, Florida. Sheepshead has about six dark bars on the midsection part of their bodies. They average 50 to 70 centimeters in length and have characteristic sharp dorsal spines that run from the top of their upper back down to the tailfin.

Grunts  

Grunts get their name from the grunting sounds that they make and amplify by grinding their teeth.  These deep sea bottom-feeders have a shade between cream and silver, with signature parallel bluish stripes on either side of their body. They are a game fish favorite of Tampa Bay offshore anglers and make great flaky-white fish meat.

Wahoo

Wahoo is a fast swimmer found in the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Tampa Bay, Florida. It’s a monster predator with average dimensions of around 7 feet in length and up to 200 pounds heavy. Wahoos are regular game and sport fish among Tampa Bay offshore anglers.

Sailfish

Sailfish have extra-large dorsal fins, usually taller than their entire body length, to bolt through offshore waters at top speeds of 60 miles an hour. They survive on small fish. Of all Tampa Bay, Florida, offshore fish species, Sailfish are probably the hardest to catch, owing to the vigorous fight they put up when they bite.

Barracuda

The Barracudas are classic sport fish in Tampa Bay, Florida, offshore fishing circles. Having large streamlined bodies and ray fins makes them the most ferocious predator of the Tampa Bay offshores. They prey and feed on small fish, the likes of Mullets and Grunts. They thrive in the warm tropical waters of the Atlantic in mangrove-rich and deep reef structures beyond 100 meters below the water’s surface.

Cobia

Cobia is originally a native inshore Tampa Bay, Florida fish. However, it’s not unlikely to go Cobia charter fishing in Tampa Bay only to find them out in the open offshore waters. They love to swim close to the surface of the water along wrecks, rock outcrops, markers, and buoys in the deep sea.

Types of Offshore Fishing

Considering the type of sport or game fish to hunt matters before you can decide to visit a particular fishing point and use a given offshore fishing technique. You want to maximize your offshore chartering hours, so take your time. Or make life easier and outsource that decision to a seasoned Tampa Bay Florida Offshore Fishing Charter. Here are some of the more popular offshore fishing methods in Tampa Bay.

Bottom Fishing

The beauty of bottom fishing is that it entails the least amount of effort to set up. All you need is a rig, which combines a hook, fishing line, and sinker. The hook has a weight that drops the bait or lure to the bottom or near the bottom of the offshore waters you’re fishing.

Deep dropping is a special type of bottom fishing that comes in handy when you’re dealing with depths of between 600 and 3000 feet. Deep dropping anglers are usually after Swordfish and Tilefish. In General, bottom fishing serves to catch fish in demersal layers. So red Snappers and large Groupers are ideal for hunting with this fishing method.

Trolling

Trolling requires anglers to assemble their reels, fishing lines, and rods and cast and fasten them on the sides or the rear end of the charter boat so that the baited hook drags through the water as the boat moves. When the fish bite, you’ll see some leaping and thrusting in the water as the fish tries to free itself. Swing into action and reel in the catch.

Spot Fishing

It’s the most effective method for trapping Cobia, mainly because they’re the only offshore fish that you can spot swimming close to the surface of the water. They like to swim along objects in the water. You could easily see them swim along with your charter boat, making it even easier to get them to bite. Once you spot them, cast your line close enough for them to see the lure and go for the bait.

Chumming

Chumming or chunking is the method where anglers use chunks of freshly cut bait. Offshore fishing captains recommend using fresh Mullets or Sardines. Have a bucketful of chunks and head out to your fishing spot. Anchor the boat at the fishing point and grab just enough chunks to attract the fish and not feed them.

Toss a handful of chunks out into the waters and wait for the fish to show up. Do this every 10-20 minutes, and when the fish show, cash your line and hope they bite. Reel your catch in or use a handheld circular or J-hook to scope the fish that end up too close to your boat.

Other Reasons to Choose an Offshore Fishing Charter

More Time Fishing

Do you think you can put up with the hassle of getting an offshore fishing license, handling your kids, and working the nautical maps, fishing gear, and equipment out at sea? That’s what we thought. Technology and fishing regulations could favor you picking up and going offshore fishing independently, but nothing can match up to the expertise of a well vast human fishing chaperone.

Booking Tampa Bay Offshore Fishing Charters makes all the difference, turning your fishing voyage into a fun-filled adventure while opening up more time for you to fish effortlessly.

Calm Water

The Tampa Bay, Florida area, sees more days of calm offshore waters than most other locations in Florida. At 10 to 60-miles, offshore fishing spots have relatively calm waters. But the prevailing weather conditions and time of year will play a significant role in determining the calmness of the waters as you go farther away into the deep sea. Luckily, you’ll be in the company of professional Tampa Bay Florida Offshore Fishing Charters to navigate through the offshores.

A Large Variety of Fish

Tampa Bay, Florida, offshore waters house various species of fish and fish families. The different kinds of offshore fish occupy many fishing spots per square mile of the Tampa Bay offshore waters. From Grunts to Porgy to Flounders, Tampa Bay has one diverse selection of offshore fish.

 

Why Choose Tampa Bay Florida Fishing Charters for Your Next Offshore Fishing Charter?

 

Experienced guides

Let’s face it. You want to have the best time of your life while offshore fishing in Tampa Bay, Florida, right? Without a doubt, the best way to do that is to hire Tampa Bay Florida Fishing Charters for a high-quality offshore fishing tour.

We’ve got the hacks, the tackle, and a good grasp of Tampa Bay, Florida, offshore fishing spots, game and sport fish. You can check out our online reviews, fishing reports, well-trained captains and charter crew, and fishing charter certification by the State of Florida.

Great Fishing Opportunities

You’ve offshore deep reefs, several wrecks, outcrops, and many more fishing points to scout. Tampa Bay Florida Offshore Fishing Charters exist to ensure you traverse all the offshore fishing spots Tampa Bay has to offer and catch the fish you signed up to bag on your charter booking call.

Beautiful Scenery

Tampa Bay has a plethora of fun activities to engage adults and kids vacationing in Florida. You can visit the Tampa Bay Museum of Science and Industry and learn about the city’s history. Spare some time to attend one of Tampa Bay’s foodie festivals and sample the culinary pleasures of the Bay. And you’ll not be getting a bang for your buck if you don’t get to walk and busk in the white sand beaches of St. Pete and Clearwater barrier islands.

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