How Far Out to Sea Do Inshore Charters Go in St Petersburg and Tampa Bay?

Folks ask me this all the time. How far out to sea do we actually go on an inshore charter out of St. Petersburg?

Not as far as a lot of people think.

I run a 22-foot boat. On purpose. We are not burning two hours of your trip heading to some wreck 25 miles out in the Gulf. That is a different kind of day and a different kind of operation. I got tired of watching outfits sell “inshore” then spend half the morning running.

Most of our time is spent inside Tampa Bay and right around the passes. Flats off Fort De Soto. Mangroves at Weedon Island. Tide lines around the Skyway. Boca Ciega Bay. Grass near Johns Pass and Pass-A-Grille. Bay Pines. The Intracoastal. Places I have fished since I was a kid with my dad.

On a good day we might slip just outside a pass when the Spanish mackerel or kings are stacked up, or work nearshore structure around Egmont Key. Still close enough you can see land. Usually we are talking a few miles, sometimes less, sometimes out toward that 5 to 8 mile range if the bite and the weather line up. Not 20. Not 30.

Weather down here turns quick. Summer squalls roll off the Gulf. Winter northers chew the bay up. I stay where I can get you back to the ramp without drama. USCG licensed. Insured. Safety first. Always.

Inshore here means more fishing time and less riding. Redfish, snook, trout, snapper, tarpon in season, sharks around the channels. That is the fishery my family has worked for six generations from Tampa Bay down toward Charlotte Harbor.

If you are coming from Clearwater, Largo, Pinellas Park, Dunedin, or Tampa, this is the kind of trip that actually fits a half day or full day without wasting it on a long run.

Want a straight answer for your dates and what you want to catch? Call or book. I will get you taken care of.