St. Pete's Custom Inshore Charters | Deep Color

Guided Fishing Trip In St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg's inshore waters are some of Florida's best-kept secrets, and Deep Color Fishing knows exactly where the fish are biting. This isn't your typical crowded charter boat experience – with just 2 guests max, you'll get the personalized attention that makes all the difference between coming home with stories and coming home with dinner. Our local crew has been working these flats, grass beds, and structure for years, so you're not just getting a boat ride – you're getting decades of knowledge about when, where, and how to target the species that make Tampa Bay famous among serious anglers.

What to Expect on the Water

When you step aboard with Deep Color Fishing, everything's ready to go. We're talking quality rods, reels, tackle, bait, and even your fishing license – all included so you can focus on what matters most: putting fish in the boat. The beauty of inshore fishing here is the variety. One minute you might be sight-casting to a cruising cobia, the next you're dropping down to structure for grouper, then moving shallow for some feisty sheepshead around the docks. Our captain reads the conditions daily – wind, tide, water clarity – and adjusts the game plan accordingly. Spring tides might have us working the deeper channels, while calm summer mornings are perfect for stalking the flats. The boat's set up specifically for inshore work, meaning we can get into those skinny water spots where the bigger boats can't follow.

Techniques & Tackle Breakdown

Inshore fishing around St. Pete is all about versatility, and that's exactly how we approach each trip. For cobia, we'll often run and gun, covering water until we spot those chocolate-colored torpedoes cruising near the surface – then it's all about the presentation with live bait or well-placed artificials. Grouper fishing means working structure with heavier tackle, dropping baits tight to ledges, wrecks, and hard bottom where these bruisers like to hang out. The sheepshead game is pure finesse – light leaders, small hooks, and the patience to feel those notorious bait thieves before they strip your hook clean. We keep a variety of live and cut baits on board, from pinfish and pigfish for the grouper to fiddler crabs that drive sheepshead absolutely crazy. Artificial lures have their place too, especially when the trout are schooled up or when we find cobia that want something moving fast. The key is matching the technique to the conditions and the fish we're targeting that day.

Top Catches This Season

Goliath Grouper are the heavyweight champions of these waters, and encountering one is something you'll never forget. These massive fish can exceed 400 pounds and have made a remarkable comeback in Florida waters. They're catch-and-release only, which makes perfect sense when you see the prehistoric power of these giants. Peak season runs from July through October when they gather around structure for spawning. The fight is absolutely legendary – imagine hooking into something that weighs more than a motorcycle and has the attitude to match. Most anglers are shocked by the initial run and the way these fish use structure to their advantage.

Sheepshead might not win any beauty contests, but they're absolutely delicious and provide some of the most technical fishing you'll find inshore. These black-and-white striped convicts love structure – docks, bridges, oyster bars – anywhere they can pick crustaceans and barnacles off the pilings. Winter months from December through March are prime time when they school up heavily for spawning. They're notorious bait stealers with those human-like teeth, so feeling the bite and setting the hook quickly separates the experienced anglers from the beginners. A cooler full of sheepshead means some of the best eating fish in the Gulf.

King Mackerel bring speed and attitude to the inshore scene, especially during their spring and fall migrations when they push into shallower water chasing bait schools. These silver bullets can hit 40+ mph and make blistering runs that'll test your drag and your nerves. We typically find them around structure or bait schools from March through May and again in September through November. Live bait is king for kings – a properly rigged sardine or threadfin herring drifted near structure or trolled along depth changes. The strikes are violent, the runs are long, and the jumping makes for incredible action.

Sea Trout are the bread and butter of Tampa Bay inshore fishing, found year-round over grass flats and around structure. These spotted beauties are perfect for artificial lures – soft plastics, topwater plugs, and spoons all produce when worked properly. The bigger "gator" trout over 20 inches are what every angler dreams about, and they typically hold in slightly deeper water along drop-offs and channels. Dawn and dusk are prime time, especially during warmer months when they move shallow to feed.

Permit are the holy grail for many inshore anglers – incredibly spooky, unbelievably strong, and absolutely gorgeous with their silver sides and distinctive body shape. These fish test every aspect of your angling skills from the approach to the presentation to the fight. They cruise the flats looking for crabs and small fish, often in crystal clear water where one wrong move spooks the entire school. When you do connect with a permit, the fight is legendary – long runs, powerful surges, and an attitude that never gives up.

Cobia are often called the brown shark by inexperienced anglers, but these curious fish are actually incredible table fare and fantastic sport. Spring migration from March through May brings hungry cobia into our inshore waters as they head north to spawn. They're often found following rays, sharks, or other large marine life, scavenging for stirred-up prey. Sight fishing for cobia is pure excitement – spotting that brown torpedo cruising just under the surface, making the approach, and watching them either eat your bait or spook into the depths.