Bluefish in Tampa Bay
Wintertime surf and inlet blitzes on the Atlantic coast. Metal spoons and plugs with a wire leader.
Next three days
| Day | Bite | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Sep 13 | 6 | New Moon feeding boost. Light wind. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky |
| Mon, Sep 14 | 5 | Light wind. Heat, fish early or late. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.0 ft |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 5 | Heat, fish early or late. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.1 ft |
Seasonal pattern
Editorial baseline for Florida. Green months are prime, yellow fair, red slow. Preferred water temperature 55–75°F.
Regulations that apply here
Applies to: state and adjacent federal waters · Licenses: Federal bluefish charter permit required for for-hire vessels in Atlantic federal waters to keep bluefish.
| Species / zone | Season | Size | Bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefish Gulf state and federal waters boundaryincludes Monroe County | open now Open year-round | Minimum Size Limit: 12" fork length | Daily Bag Limit: 10 per harvester (includes Monroe County) | Legal Gear: hook and line, spears, gigs, seine, cast net |
- A 2019 federal stock assessment found Atlantic bluefish is overfished.
- Federal fishery managers adopted more restrictive recreational bag limits in federal waters, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Management Commission requested states implement similar regulations.
Source: FWC, extracted 2026-09-12. Review flags: The page lists '10 per harvester' for Gulf waters. The schema expects 'bag_per_person'. It is assumed 'harvester' equates to 'person' for this context, but the specific term 'harvester' is retained in bag_text.; Gear requirements are listed under 'More Information' and appear to apply generally, but are attached to the Gulf rule entry as the most comprehensive gear list provided; Atlantic rules do not explicitly restate gear restrictions on this page.