Tampa is home of the best fishing in the south of the Florida city. Overlooking Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico beyond, this city not only has saltwater fishing but there are inland lakes and rivers to provide most productive fishing experience the area. One needs to buy a license through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website or a bait and tackle shops across the state before they go fishing. A day can be well spent pursuing hard-fighting tarpon on the bay or dropping a line in a local lake for hot largemouth bass action.
According to a Tampa Florida fishing guide, there are Saltwater Hot Spots like the Ballast Point Park fishing pier that provides access to a rocky reef that’s harbouring drum, redfish, snook, pompano and sheepshead. Tampa Bay and near-shore parts of the Gulf include rocky reefs and vast shallow flats that are good for catching tarpon, redfish, snook and others. Also some of west central Florida’s Bess bass fishing lakes are a stone’s away from Tampa. A few parks in and around Tampa like Dover and Wrotham parks both offer fishing for bass, catfish and bream.
The 770 acre man made Lake Edward Medard reservoir (Pleasant Grove Reservoir formerly) is stocked regularly by Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission with docks, weed beds and submerged brush piles attracting largemouth bass, crappie and bream. Piers in Picnic Island Park and E.G. Simmons Park are also worth a visit by fishing enthusiasts.
The Hillsborough River is accessible for those who prefer moving water fishing. Another ideal spot is the Little Manatee River for canoe and kayak fishing. The Tampa Bypass Canal is one of the best fishing spots in the city though it isn’t technically a river. It has ample largemouth bass, bream and catfish along with stocked sunshine bass.
