May 2024 - Tarpon Season is Here!

May signaled the official start of tarpon season, with large schools of silver kings migrating along the coast. Early morning live crabs and threadfin drifts resulted in massive hookups near Bean Point, Egmont Key, and Longboat Pass.

Snook were fully engaged in their pre-spawn feeding, making them a prime target for those fishing the passes, beach troughs, and dock lights at night. Redfish were active along mangrove edges and oyster bars, especially on high tides, and topwater lures at sunrise led to exciting strikes.

Offshore, permit were thick on the wrecks, and amberjack fishing remained strong in deep water. Those fishing bottom structure in 80+ feet found solid grouper and snapper action, especially on days with good current flow.

🔹 Best Bait: Pass crabs and threadfins for tarpon; live shrimp for snook; live crabs for permit offshore

🔹 Hot Spots: Bean Point for tarpon; Longboat Key beaches for snook; offshore wrecks for permit