OUTDOORS EXPO AND BOAT SHOW

Friday, March 31 - Saturday, April 2 at Armature Works in downtown Tampa ful inside food hall, the pet friendly outdoor space, seminars, and activities – we believe the location is ideal for this event.” says Mark Higgins, Vice President and General Manager of WFLA News Channel 8 and WTTA Great 38. ews Channel 8 has teamed up with Armature Works to bring this family-friendly event to the beautiful downtown Tampa skyline. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have activities on site, along with the Cheerleaders and Captain Fear. News Channel 8’s anchor team will also be on site to greet Expo attendees.

“The Armature Works location gives people the opportunity to tour boats by the water and enjoy the outdoors. Add to that, the wonder-

With nearly 100,000 square feet of exhibits and activity space at Armature Works, the Expo is the perfect place to explore boats of all shapes and sizes, boating accessories, fishing gear, apparel, outdoor supplies, and much more. On site will be high end luxury vessels, pontoon, lake, and speed boats showcased by multiple manufacturers and dealers.

NThe 32nd Annual News Channel 8 Outdoors Expo and Boat Show takes place on Friday, March 31, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, April 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 2nd from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Armature Works: 1910 N Ola Ave, Tampa FL 33602.

Admission to the Expo is Free. Parking is subject to Armature Works lots and garage rates and can be paid on site. Parking options can be found at https://www.armatureworks.com/parking/.

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The change has started. Tides are starting to become stronger, and we are beginning to get away from the negative tides. Our water temp will remain on a slow rise, really triggering our in-shore fish to turn on. Many fish will be dumping out of the creeks and backwaters, where they have been sheltering through the colder months. They are ready to come back out and they are hungry.

You can expect the snook bite to pick up this month, but they will still be a bit picky. Live shrimp or pinfish should do the trick. Sea trout will be hanging in 3 to 4 feet of water on grassy, patchy bottom. This is a great month to throw soft plastics for trout. I usually use a 1/8-ounce white jig head with a 5-inch bait. I tend to change my bait colors quite frequently, depending on many factors.

Some of the more important factors would be water clarity, weather conditions and the time of day. Typically, if it’s bright and sunny, I will use more natural colors. If it’s a bit cloudy, I will use darker colors. Redfish will be schooling up on rocky bottom along the mangrove lines.

Redfish will eat just about anything you throw at them. Finding them and not spooking them is the hard part. If you like lures, early morning top water can be very exciting with redfish, or any weedless soft plastic. Try to match your color to the natural bait in the area. Here along the nature coast, gold and black, root-beer and white colors are hard to beat. If you enjoy just fishing with bait, cut mullet, shrimp or live pinfish are some of the redfish’s favorite meals.

The weather is beautiful this time of year and the fish are biting. Hopefully everyone gets out and catches some fish. Tight lines everyone.

Let’s grow with Florida together.