Fishing catches fire with spring arrival
It looks like we finally broke out of the wintertime pattern. Not that fishing here during the winter is bad, but it’s so much better in the springtime.
The variety of fish being reeled in is growing by the day. Migratory species such as kingfish, Spanish mackerel, cobia and amberjack are starting their springtime forage with a vengeance.
Out of the reefs and wrecks, we’re seeing mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper and hogfish making a prominent showing. Cut sardines work well for the snapper, while a feisty shrimp will tempt a hogfish. A spear gun on a dive around nearshore structures works even better for hogfish.
Inshore species are becoming more voracious by the day as water temps continue to warm up. Spotted sea trout have invaded the grass flats of the surrounding waters of Anna Maria Island. And redfish and snook are beginning to move onto the flats.
Try targeting schools of mullet if you can’t find the fish. Typically, reds and snook will swim with mullet schools, hoping mullet will stir up shrimp and crabs on the glass flats. Along with the reds, snook and trout, you can also expect to encounter ladyfish, flounder and sheepshead.
As you can see, our waters have a lot to offer this time of year. Now is the time, to get out and catch some fish — a wide variety of fish.
Capt. Sam Kimball of Legend Charters is catching a variety of species starting at depths of 30 feet all the way out to 120 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico. On the nearshore structures, Kimball is targeting sheepshead, hogfish and Key West grunts using live shrimp. The sheepshead and hogfish are running in the 3- to 5-pound range. Key West grunts round out the nearshore experience and are ranging 1-2 pounds. Also, while fishing nearshore, Kimball is catching flounder up to 5 pounds.
Moving out a little deeper, the snapper bite is beginning to turn on. On recent charters Kimball reeled in yellowtail snapper and mangrove snapper in the 4- to 5-pound range on cut bait and shrimp. Kimball is using live threadfins for bait, which is resulting in amberjack up to 45 pounds and plenty of catch-and-release gag grouper.
Jonny Keyes at Island Discount Tackle says the inshore sheepshead bite is still going strong with reports coming in from the local fishing piers, as well as fishers targeting docks around Key Royale and Bimini Bay. Speaking of Bimini Bay, fishers there are catching good numbers of redfish and trout. “The flats directly behind Galati’s Marine are a good spot to target trout,” Keyes says.
Flounder and Spanish mackerel are being caught around nearshore structures in Tampa Bay and just off the beaches of Anna Maria Island. “Fishers using Gulp shrimp have been catching some nice flounder,” Keyes says. Catch-and-release gag grouper action remains hot. Keyes suggests targeting keeper gags around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Jim “Jitterbug” Phillips at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge South Fishing Pier says fishing is getting better and better, as the water temps get warmer.
If you’re looking for a variety of species, the Skyway piers should be your destination. You can catch plenty of Spanish mackerel and possibly even a smoker king fishing threadfin herring or blue runners
Sheepshead are swarming around the pilings, so don’t forget to take some sand fleas or fiddler crabs with you. Doc’s Goofy jigs are working well on silver trout and pompano. “For the silver trout, try tipping your jig with a small piece of peeled shrimp,” Jitterbug says. Fishers using whole live shrimp are catching mangrove snapper and Key West grunts. As you can see, the Skyway is prime fishing grounds for fishers looking to catch a mixed bag.
Capt. Mike Greig is having great results fishing the Gulf of Mexico around small wrecks and reefs. Greig is using live threadfin herring for bait with good results. Cobia in the 35- to 50-pound range have been the top catch on recent charters for Greig. Greig is catching amberjack in the 30-pound range as well as big cobia. After fighting a big cobia and then a couple of AJs, you feel like your arms are about to fall off.
Catch-and-release gag grouper action is still hot, according to Greig. He’s also been targeting permit using pass crabs for bait. Permit in the 15-pound range are starting to appear. He says, “The fishing is on fire. It’s springtime.”
Capt. Wayne Genthner of Wolfmouth Charters says the spotted sea trout bite in Sarasota Bay has finally turned on with fish up to 24-inches caught. Also in the bay, Genthner is targeting Spanish mackerel resulting in fish up to 25 inches. Moving out off the beaches of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, Genthner is catching cobia in the 30- to 40-pound range. What’s interesting is he’s catching them on medium-size shrimp on a long-shank hook. Most fishers like to use a live pinfish, threadfin herring or even a fat shiner, but leave it up to Wolfmouth to start catching them on shrimp. Just regular size shrimp, he says.
Along with cobia, Genthner is catching large numbers of hogfish on nearshore structures. “Try using a pink jig head tipped with a live shrimp,” Genthner says. “We caught 10 hogs in one spot the other day.”
Kim Shearer at Annie’s Bait and Tackle says reports of spotted sea trout are coming in daily. Average sizes of the trout have been 18-21 inches, although rumors of a 28-inch trout weighing 7 pounds were circulating the tackle shop.
Fishers targeting sheepshead are catching limits using fiddler crabs. Reports of redfish are coming in with the biggest being 31 inches long. Pompano are being caught but the bite is still sporadic. Kim suggests using a wahoo pompano jig for best results. Last but not least, Spanish mackerel are being caught near the tackle shop from around the Cortez Bridge.
Capt. Rick Gross of Fishy Business Charters reports just about everything is on the feed with water temps in the low 70s. Fishing the beaches and nearshore reefs this past week resulted in sheepshead, Spanish macks, white grunts and catch-and-release grouper. Fishing the flats around some oyster bars, one charter caught five redfish up to 24 inches on live shrimp.
While fishing some mangrove islands, just south of the Skyway Bridge, with a good flowing incoming tide, Gross caught and released 13 snook measuring 20-25 inches. “Not big fish, but a lot of fun on light tackle,” Gross says.
In the afternoons, Gross has been catching redfish up to 25 inches and a few snook. To finish off his day, he reeled up a bunch of Spanish mackerel.
Capt. Mark Howard of SumoTime Fishing Charters says fishing around Anna Maria Island this past week has been excellent. The shiners have come into the bay and are keying the springtime pattern. Snook, trout and redfish are feeding heavily on the moving tides. Howard reports an exceptional speckled trout bite with plenty of 20-plus-inch fish being landed and, he says, snook and redfish are feeding heavily in their springtime spots.
“With the coming full moon, look for fast-moving water on the changing tides to improve your chances of some banner springtime catches,” Howard says.
Send fishing reports to fish@islander.org.
App aids fishers seeking info
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council recently released an app for the iPhone and iPad that contains details about Gulf commercial and recreational fishing rules, as well as information on fish identification, measurement guidelines, sanctuaries and closures.
The council plans to develop additional apps for other smart phones.
