Wade Fishing In Tampa Bay For Inshore Slams [On-The-Water Report]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
If you choose to go wade fishing, does that impact your chances of catching an inshore slam?
Can you have the same success wade fishing vs. fishing off of a boat or a kayak?
Check out this awesome on-the-water footage from a recent wade fishing trip with Wader Dave!
Learn more below!
Wade Fishing Tampa Bay
Even on the toughest days, you can go out and find fish that are willing to bite.
Clear skies and low temperatures can cause the fish to become hesitant and unwilling to chase down bait.
However, if you stick to the trends and try to locate bait, you will locate fish.
Wade Fishing Tampa Bay [VIDEO]
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Equipment Used:
Luke’s Equipment – Shallow Water:
- Rod: Bull Bay Custom: 7’6” MH Power Fast Action
- Reel: Daiwa BG MQ 2500
- Line: 10 lb PowerPro
- Leader: 20 lb Ande Monofilament
- Lure: Alabama Leprechaun rigged on Owner Weighted TwistLock 3/0 1/8th oz
Luke’s Equipment – Deeper Water:
- Rod: Mudhole Custom: 7’6” M Power Fast Action
- Reel: Daiwa Fuego LT 2500
- Line: 10 lb Daiwa J-braid 8 Grand
- Leader: 20 lb Ande Monofilament
- Lure: Power Prawn Jr. rigged on a 1/4th oz Trout Eye Jighead
Dave’s Equipment
- Rod: Bull Bay Bolt: 7’6” M Power Fast Action
- Reel: Shimano Twin Power 3000
- Line: 8 lb Daiwa J-Braid 8 Grand
- Leader: 25 lb Ande Monofilament
- Lure 1: DOA Cal Shad rigged on 3/16th oz jighead
- Lure 2: MirrOlure Lil John rigged on 1/8th oz jighead
Conclusion
All you need to find fish is a set of wading boots and a fishing rod.
Even without the use of a boat or kayak, you can find and catch an inshore slam!
Remember to stick to the current fishing trends and always be on the look for boils, bait and birds!!!
Do you have any more questions on wade fishing this winter?
Let us know down in the comments below!
If you’d like to book Wader Dave for a fishing trip like this, we’re pleased to report that he is giving a great discount to Insider Club members which you can find on the Group Discounts page.
To learn more about Wader Dave, make sure to check out his website: www.wadersguide.com.
And if you know someone who wants to learn more about wade fishing in Tampa Bay, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Do you do that reverse Dirty Deeks (just made that up) often, Luke? I like the idea of it because I currently have 3 rods, and they have 10/20/30lb braid respectively… due to that, I use 20/30lb mono leader to make the FG knot function properly. In your opinion, is it worth it to add that thinner leader at the very end to get better action from the fish?
I am using that leader assembly more frequently now. I’m still fairly new to it so can’t say for sure if it is better than a traditional leader assembly. But so far, I have been very impressed with it… more testing to be done before making a firm statement one way or the other though.
Nice rod Luke! How did you like that Bolt though?! I fish with a Bolt and a custom rod designed like a bolt.
Thanks Seth! The Bolt rod felt nice, but I prefer that blank of their Stealth Sniper better. And the fact that it’s priced lower than the bolt is an added bonus.
Our Custom Bull Bay rod had the Stealth Sniper blank along with a premium full cork grip and a hook keeper for weedless soft plastics which is why I prefer it over all the others.
@Luke how did you like the 8lb braid on Dave’s setup?
I liked it… so much so that I got some 5lb test shortly afterwards to use for sight fishing in the winter months. The thinner line is still plenty strong enough for fishing in the bays while offering some needed casting distance. I’ve only used the 5lb line twice now, and I’ve landed a slot snook both trips which has been a big surprise.
Great, I will have to get some 8lb or 5lb to try then.
I got the 5 lb power pro because it was the thinnest line I could find. So far, I’ve been very happy with it. With the FG knot, it showed an impressive breaking point at over 11 lbs on both tests I did with it.
Do you ever have to worry about sharks when wade fishing
I don’t worry much about sharks while wading… the odds of getting bit by a shark are so low that it’s not worth paying much attention to. That being said, it’s of course smart to not do anything to increase the odds of sharks showing interest in you like tying a stringer of fish to your foot.
Note: There are some areas like down in Flamingo which have a lot of bull sharks that cruise the shallows… that’s the only area that I will not wade fish.
Do you have the actual gps positions that you fished at?
One of the promises I made with any guides that I fish with is that I don’t reveal their spots like we do for our normal weekly Insider Reports. But just know that all of the spots we fished matched up exactly with what was recommended in the game plan lesson that we published a few days before the trip. So make sure to utilize those weekly game plans if you’re not already doing so: https://www.saltstrong.com/article_categories/smart-fishing-game-plans/