Redfish Charters

Catch Tampa Bay Redfish with Captain Sean

There was a time when Redfish were simply considered a by catch and not a whole lot of attention was given to them. Then came the Blacken Redfish craze started back in the 80's which brought a lot of attention and placed a huge price tag on Redfish for the commercial fishing industry. After a few short years of an all out assault on the Redfish population which endangered the species, the breaks were put on to stop all harvest for commercial and recreational anglers.

After a brief time of closed harvest, Redfish were labeled a game fish and opened back up for recreational fishing only. Since then their numbers came back very fast and stronger than ever thanks to strict limits and restrictions. They have become so popular that you can hardly turn on the tv without seeing one of the many Redfish tournaments which now rival the Bass fishing circuit.

The Redfish numbers are very strong right here in Tampa Bay making them a highly sought after species for many of our clients. In fact, we get asked from clients about catching Redfish more than any other species. We have some outstanding Redfish charters with our clients where catching 20 or more fish in just a few hours is not uncommon. One of the nice problems we run into most of the time is when all the Redfish we catch are over the legal size limit.

There is no season on Redfish as with Snook and Trout, and anglers are allowed 1 Redfish per person between 18 and 27 inches according to Florida fishing regulations. Just like the Trout, Redfish are active all year long despite what the water temperature is giving us something else to target on those cold winter days. The best times to fish Redfish here in the Tampa Bay area are the late spring, summer and early fall.

Redfish can be caught using live or cut baits such as Sardines and Shrimp, or with one of the many different artificial lures on the market today. We mostly use the most natural choice which is live bait on our charters during the peek fishing months. When bait becomes difficult to find during the winter we do resort to the artificial choices from time to time. Regardless of what we use for bait, when the Redfish are ready to feed it doesn’t matter what we cast their way.

To book a charter and catch redfish like this in Tampa, Clearwater, St Pete, Dunedin, Safety Harbor and the entire Tampa Bay area call Captain Sean at (727) 447-8386 or (727) 510-5226