Know your target

Crevalle jack fishing around Tampa Bay

Crevalle jacks herd mullet and whitebait along Tampa Bay seawalls, open banks and pier edges, often revealing themselves with sudden surface boils. Shore anglers can cover water with a topwater plug or keep a live bait ready for a passing school.

Also known as: Jack crevalle

Harvest status today: Open (as of Oct 26, 2026)

Season: Open year-round (no species-specific season; FWC "unregulated" species)Slot: No size limitBag: Default limit: 2 fish or 100 lb per person per day, whichever is more

Crevalle jack, side view — Photo: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Reference Standard Sequence Library) · Public domain (U.S. government work) · Source

FWC regulations (Tampa Bay region)

Season	Open year-round (no species-specific season; FWC "unregulated" species)
Slot/size limit	No size limit
Bag limit	Default limit: 2 fish or 100 lb per person per day, whichever is more
Special rules	Standard recreational gear rules apply; saltwater fishing license required unless exempt.

Source: FWC: Unregulated · Checked Oct 2026

“Checked” is the dataset reference date.

Regulations change; always confirm with FWC.

Fishing license: who needs one

When they're biting

Best months and baits are general guidance, not official.

JanFair

FebFair

MarGood

AprPeak

MayPeak

JunPeak

JulPeak

AugPeak

SepPeak

OctPeakThis month

NovGood

DecFair

Swipe or scroll the table to see all months. General guidance: 0 = Rare, 1 = Fair, 2 = Good, 3 = Peak. Current month: Oct. Harvest status as of 2026-10-26 (America/New_York), at build time.

Month-by-month shore fishing guide
Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	OctThis month	Nov	Dec
Crevalle jack	Fair	Fair	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good	Fair

winter: Look for bait in sheltered canals and upper-bay water during warm spells, using a slower subsurface lure after cold fronts.
spring: Cast around visible baitfish along bay banks as warming water brings more active schools into shore range.
summer: Work open shoreline at dawn with a surface plug and switch to a paddletail once fish stop showing on top.
fall: Follow mullet activity along seawalls and bay edges, casting beyond feeding schools before retrieving through the fringe.

Top baits

Best months and baits are general guidance, not official.

live

Live finger mullet
Scaled sardines (whitebait)
Live threadfin herring

cut

Fresh mullet chunks
Cut ladyfish

artificial

Topwater walking plug
1 oz silver spoon
4-5 inch paddletail

Image credits

How to catch

General guidance; adapt tackle to conditions and follow current rules.

Hook: 3/0-5/0 inline circle hook
Leader: 40-50 lb monofilament
Weight: Freeline bait (0 oz); optional 1/4 oz egg sinker
Rig: Freeline rig: use a strong leader and nose-hooked mullet or sardine to swim a bait beside open shoreline with room for a long run.
Technique: Cast beyond a feeding school and retrieve a plug or spoon briskly across its outside edge. Apply steady side pressure and guide the fight toward open water before the first run reaches structure.
Best tide: Mid-incoming or mid-outgoing tide moving bait along shore
Time of day: Dawn or late afternoon; visible feeding activity can justify daytime casts

Choose tackle that can turn a fish before it reaches pilings.
Give neighboring anglers space and warn them before following a running fish.
Use a net and pliers; keep hands clear of lure hooks during thrashing.

Where to go

Habitat suggestions, subject to access. Check each spot's status before going.

St. Pete Pier Fishing Deck The open bay beside the fishing deck gives room to cast past bait activity while steering jacks away from pilings. Open
Apollo Beach Nature Preserve Shoreline Eastern bay beach and rocky shoreline provide an edge to search with fast plugs for bait-chasing jacks. Open
Picnic Island Park Fishing Pier South Tampa bay water offers a pier vantage for spotting bait activity; keep casts clear of boat-ramp traffic. Call ahead
Courtney Campbell Causeway — Clearwater Trail Shoreline Open causeway shoreline and shallow flats let anglers follow visible feeding activity with fan casts. Call ahead
Williams Park (Alafia River at U.S. 41) Alafia River shoreline by the U.S. 41 bridge; snook stage on the bridge shadows and tarpon roll up the river in summer. Open
Riverview Civic Center Fishing Pier (Alafia River) Pier on the tidal Alafia River upstream of the bay; snook and jacks follow bait in the brackish water, especially on the outgoing tide. Open