Know your target

Ladyfish fishing around Tampa Bay

Ladyfish chase shrimp and tiny baitfish over Tampa Bay flats and through coastal passes, striking small lures and jumping repeatedly when hooked. Causeway shores and flats-side piers make them a practical light-tackle target during warm months.

Also known as: Skipjack

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

Ladyfish, 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
Ladyfish	Fair	Fair	Good	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Good	Fair

winter: Search sheltered bay water on mild afternoons with a small jig worked slowly below the surface.
spring: Fan-cast small spoons across flats and pass margins as warming water increases baitfish activity.
summer: Fish a shrimp or small jig across moving flats water at dawn, varying depth until fish respond.
fall: Work the edges of small bait schools with a Clouser fly or tiny spoon while the bay remains warm.

Top baits

Best months and baits are general guidance, not official.

live

Live shrimp
Small scaled sardines (whitebait)

cut

Thin fresh sardine strips

artificial

1/4 oz silver spoon
2-3 inch paddletail
Clouser fly

Image credits

How to catch

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

Hook: 1/0 light-wire J hook on a jighead
Leader: 20-30 lb monofilament
Weight: 1/8-1/4 oz jighead
Rig: Jig rig: tie a light jighead directly to the leader and thread on a small paddletail, leaving the hook point fully exposed.
Technique: Retrieve with short, quick twitches and occasional pauses, counting the jig down on later casts to search deeper. Keep a slight bend in the rod and ease tension briefly when a fish jumps.
Best tide: Moderate incoming or outgoing flow across flats or along pass edges
Time of day: Early morning or evening; warm winter afternoons

Replace leader roughened by the abrasive mouth.
Use a single-hook lure to simplify unhooking a jumping fish.
Keep the fish low over the water and use pliers to avoid hooks during thrashing.

Where to go

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

Fort De Soto Bay Pier Calmer bay water and grass flats suit small jigs retrieved above the vegetation for ladyfish. Call ahead
Courtney Campbell Causeway — Clearwater Trail Shoreline Shallow upper-bay flats offer broad water to search with tiny spoons and shrimp imitations. Call ahead
Sand Key Park Fishing Piers Gulf and Clearwater Pass flow provide moving-water lanes to swim a light jig through. Call ahead
Safety Harbor — Fire Marshal Dick Brock Memorial Pier The rebuilt pier reaches shallow upper-bay water suited to small shrimp presentations during warm weather. Open
Picnic Island Park Fishing Pier Near the Port Tampa channel; jacks and ladyfish push bait along the edges while the pier pilings hold sheepshead. Call ahead
Gulfport Williams Pier Long pier into Boca Ciega Bay; lights draw bait and trout at night, pilings hold sheepshead in winter. Open
Dunedin Causeway Causeway bridges over St. Joseph Sound; sheepshead on the bridge pilings in winter, trout and reds on the grass flats beside the roadway. Open
Bay Vista Park Pier Pier at the south tip of St. Petersburg facing lower Tampa Bay flats; trout and ladyfish on moving tides. Call ahead
R.E. Olds Park Fishing Pier Pier at the very top of Old Tampa Bay; shallow brackish flats where ladyfish, trout and snook feed when the tide is moving. Open