If your heading for a Tampa fishing holiday then whether you already know it or not you will almost certainly spend some time fishing for King Fish. King Fish are good sized fish and importantly they can tolerate a wide range of temperatures so can be found for most of the year both in inshore waters and off shore too.
Chris Benson Reef, Pelican Flats and other shallow reefs are the best place to fish for King fish however and you will need the right equipment to make the most of the good numbers of these fish.
Everything should be at least twenty pound rated including your rod, reel and of course line. You will need a long line as well as they are fairly fast fish and they can cover ground fast, 200 yard capacity is advisable especially as you could find you catch Marlin at the same time.
You will need a rod for fast action as well and may want to consider a geared reel to bring these powerful fish back in without much trouble. As for bait ribbon fish is best for live bait and in summer should bring you plenty of fish if you want to spend the day constantly hauling King fish in. For your Tampa fishing trip outside of summer though sabriks, herring and sardine all work well and are easily available, or you could catch them yourself.
A Tampa fishing trip can focus on King fish or be a general fishing trip for species including Marlin, Black Seabass, Silver Mullet ad other fish that are found with Kingfish in the shallows; in either case it is going to be mainly King fish you catch on most days. For Marlin of course you may want kit that is graded for 30 or 50 pounds though and harnesses to attach your equipment to your waste or railings are advisable.
For something a little different on your Tampa Fishing holiday you could try trolling that works well for King Fish, dragging along live bait behind a moving boat: King Fish seem unable to resist. Make sure when you choose a charter then that the boat crew are willing to do this, that other people on the boat are happy to try trolling and that the boat is capable of going slowly without giving off too much wake.
If this isn’t possible you could always hire a boat to take out yourself, this is also good if you are keen to move to different reefs and shallows to find the best spots, King fish move in shoals and may move from day to day, especially following rough weather. Don’t be surprised to find King fish in busy inlets too, of which there are many around Tampa. Fishing in the Tampa area is hugely popular of course and you may want to have the option of taking out a hired boat some distance to avoid the crowds or perhaps going out for some night fishing to try your luck.