November brings a subtle coolness to Tampa Bay, signaling a shift in redfish behavior. As temperatures drop, these inshore game fish become more active, making it an opportune time for fly or artificial anglers. The weather features moderate temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s with sporadic cold fronts, creating dynamic conditions for redfish.
Redfish take center stage in November. Fly rod and Light tackle anglers focusing on shallow flats, mangrove shorelines, and oyster bars should opt for shrimp and crab imitations on the coldest days. Soft plastic swim-baits and gold spoons are always a reliable choice and are phenomenal at covering water. Long, precise casts to potholes and along grass edges can be extremely productive when sight fishing is not an option.
Tampa Bay’s November canvas sets the stage for thrilling redfish encounters. Adjust your tactics to match the changing conditions, and immerse yourself in the excitement of inshore angling against the breathtaking backdrop of autumn in Florida.
West Central Florida Restorative
Fishing in and around Tampa bay has been on the decline for the past couple years following the red tide in 2021. It used to be a common occurrence to see a group of a hundred redfish and now I feel lucky to see ten together. Unfortunately, after 3 millions pounds of fish were removed and a small 6 month closure, everything was reopened as if nothing happened. Now we’re paying the price and nothing in the bay area appears to be improving.
West central Florida is in trouble after a red tide that took a toll that none of us have ever seen. The red tide was so thick in some areas that it would prevent sunlight from reaching the floor therefore killing the sea grass. An algae bloom of this magnitude took such a toll that it impacted fish stocks from Sarasota bay all the way up to Tarpon Springs and all of Tampa Bay. Recovery time is a necessity for the preservation of our resource and with a re-open to harvest all inshore species, it won’t be possible.
The red tide in 2018 created by the blue-green algae dump out of the Caloosahatchee river from Lake Okeechobee was/is a catastrophic event. Following the event, FWC closed the harvest of any inshore species for what seemed like 5 years. This gave the ecosystem a chance to rebound/recover and the fishery now is doing better because of the closure. There is without a doubt, a larger problem at hand, being water quality and the whole state is feeling it. Let’s let nature do her thing.
Please SHARE and SIGN. The next FWC Commission meeting is 2/21 and 2/22/23 location TBD.
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